Nation targets innovation leadership

China's research and development spending exceeded 3.92 trillion yuan ($584.8 billion) in 2025, accounting for 2.8 percent of GDP and surpassing the average among the 38 OECD member countries for the first time, Science and Technology Minister Yin Hejun said on Tuesday.

Yin told a State Council Information Office news conference that China now ranks ninth globally in comprehensive innovation capacity. The country is accelerating its shift from a global participant and contributor in science and technology to a pioneer and leader, and is among the countries with the fastest-growing innovation capacity, he said.

Over the past five years, China's scientific and technological innovation has reached a new level, making solid strides toward becoming a global sci-tech powerhouse and providing strong support for high-quality development and improvements in people's livelihoods, Yin said.

China's international patent applications and the number of high-level international journal papers have ranked first worldwide for many consecutive years, he noted.

Major original achievements have emerged, with new breakthroughs in chip research and open-source large models leading globally, while emerging industries such as new energy vehicles and robots are booming, he said. Innovative drugs and new crop varieties are among the scientific and technological achievements benefiting the public, he added.

Looking ahead, China will improve strategic, forward-looking and systematic planning of basic research, pursue "from 0 to 1" original innovation and explore uncharted territory, Yin said.

To tackle key core technologies, China will promote breakthroughs across the entire industrial chain in integrated circuits, industrial machine tools and high-end instruments, while strengthening research in AI, quantum technology, biotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, he said.

Enterprises will be given a stronger role in technological and industrial innovation, with more innovation resources channeled toward them, Yin said.

To improve the national innovation system, China will optimize the layout of national strategic scientific and technological forces, promote coordinated innovation, advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, talent and improve the research ecosystem, Yin said.

On the integrated development of education, science and technology and talent, Yin said more than 60 percent of graduate students each year are studying science, engineering, agriculture and medicine.

More than 60 universities and over 100 enterprises have jointly enrolled more than 20,000 engineering master's and doctoral students.

"China has built the world's largest education system, has the most complete range of talent resources and has the world's largest R&D personnel team," Yin said.

Long Teng, vice-minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said basic research is the source of the entire scientific system and the key to addressing technological challenges.

Long said the ministry will focus on strengthening the strategic and original orientation of basic research, supporting outstanding young scientific and technological talent, improving the diversified investment structure, and strengthening the support and guarantee system for basic research.

Qiu Yong, another vice-minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said China maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward academic misconduct, with a special campaign targeting retracted papers involving academic misconduct and a crackdown on paper buying and selling.

The ministry has led a special campaign on retracted papers involving academic misconduct, encouraged relevant departments to establish regular verification and handling mechanisms for such papers within their systems, and further consolidated the primary responsibility of research institutions, he said.