Chinese scientists set to lead the world

LONDON - China has shot into second place in the world in terms of the number of scientific articles that are published in international magazines and the country's scientists are set to take the top spot from the United States in the next few years, according to a new report.

"China has already overtaken the UK and is the second leading producer of research publications, but some time before 2020 it is expected to surpass the US," said the report from the Royal Society in London.

While the top 10 is still dominated by major Western powers, their share of published research papers is falling, it noted.