Funds for scientific promotion insufficient

China has been gaining international recognition for its scientific research thanks to significant government investment, though authorities seem not as generous in promoting science to the general public.

Survey results released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Science and Technology show that last year, special government funding for science promotion was 4.63 yuan ($0.67) per capita, a 0.05 yuan drop from the previous year.

"When we talk about the special fund, we are referring to the financial allocations aside from infrastructure spending, such as the cost of building science and technology museums. As the infrastructure projects can last for a few years after one-time funding, excluding it will ensure the continuity of the data," said Qiu Chengli, a researcher at the Ministry of Science and Technology's Department of Policies, Regulation and Supervision.