Since a strategy of innovation-driven development was initiated over 10 years ago, China has ensured the rapid development of scientific and technological innovation in various fields.
To accelerate its transformation into a scientific and technological powerhouse, China announced its innovation-driven development strategy in 2012. It aims to encourage innovation in all areas, led by scientific and technological innovation. Further details were included in the Outlines on National Strategy for Innovation Driven Development published in 2016. Since then, China has ushered in a new era of achieving self-reliance and strength in science and technology.
China's ranking in the Global Innovation Index rose from 34th in 2012 to 12th in 2023. Investment in research and development tripled from one trillion yuan to 3.33 trillion yuan, around 460 billion U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate, accounting for 2.6 percent of GDP. The number of full-time equivalent research and development personnel in China doubled from about three million in 2012 to over six million in 2022, ranking first in the world.
China also tops the global list of international patent applicants, with machine learning, computer vision, and personal devices and computing as three major categories. Scientific and technological progress has contributed to over 60 percent of the country's economic growth.
The past decade has seen breakthroughs in various fields, from basic research to strategic high-tech.
China's domestically developed deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe set a national record by diving to a depth of over 10,000 meters in 2020. China's self-developed jetliner C919 has transported around 300,000 passengers since its first commercial flight in 2023.
In space exploration, China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, was switched on in 2017 and open to astronomers worldwide in 2021. It is the world's largest radio telescope.
China has also built its own space station Tiangong. The Chang'e-6 probe has collected the world’s first samples from the far side of the moon.
Over the past years, China has demonstrated strong technological strength in a wide range of fields. More breakthroughs are expected as the nation develops new guidelines for future industries, including manufacturing, information, materials, energy, space and health.
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Scientific, technological innovation boosts high-quality development in China