Springer Nature, which publishes the international journal "Nature," reported that China surpassed the United States for the first time last June in a national ranking based on the number and impact of scientific papers. This indicates that China’s academic achievements have already overwhelmed the United States and Europe quantitatively, and domestic analyses have shown that the quality of these achievements is also improving.
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) recently published a report titled "Changes in the Influence of China's Academic Achievements: Focusing on Hegemony and Efficiency," which deeply analyzes China's academic achievements and their influence, spotlighting the country's recent prominence in global academic competition.
The research team examined the academic hegemony competition between China and the United States in top-tier academic achievements (top 1% and 10%) in various research fields from 2008 to 2023, utilizing the databases refined and constructed by KISTI's Global R&D Analysis Center.
As a result, from 2020 to 2022, China outpaced the United States in academic performance share in seven out of ten major research fields. The fields in which China excelled included chemistry, agriculture, environment and ecology, electrical engineering and computer science, engineering and materials science, and earth science, with shares exceeding 48.8%, overwhelming the United States and other countries. In contrast, the United States still maintained its dominance in clinical and life sciences, physics, and arts and humanities. This suggests that China is securing a strong hegemony not limited to specific fields, but across most research areas.
According to the report, in fields such as chemistry, agriculture, environment and ecology, and electrical engineering, China demonstrated higher efficiency by producing more top 1% papers with fewer total papers compared to the United States. China’s research capacity shows an advantage not only in quantitative performance but also in qualitative aspects.
The research team emphasized that China's rise does not rely on collaborative research with other countries, including the United States. As of 2022, the share of China's top-tier academic achievements was 46%, a significant increase from 13% in 2012, while the United States decreased from 54% to 31% during the same period. This shows that China is producing top-tier outcomes with less reliance on cooperation with the United States, focusing instead on its domestic research teams.
Some in the academic community pointed out that China’s rise can be attributed to changed publication practices, especially the increase in open access (OA) journals. However, the report noted that while there have been changes in citation practices due to the rise of OA journals and papers, the proportion of OA papers among top-tier academic achievements still shows that the United States outpaced China. This indicates that China's achievements do not heavily depend on the effects of OA, reinforcing that China is producing high accomplishments through strengthening its own research capacity and fostering a domestic-centered research ecosystem.
The research team assessed that China's rise is likely not a transient phenomenon but rather based on state-led science and technology policies and large-scale investment strategies. China has systematically strengthened its scientific and technological capabilities through policies like "Made in China 2025," focusing on fostering high-tech industries and research and development. Concentrated investments in future key fields such as semiconductors, renewable energy, and information communication technology are highlighted as major success factors.
Jeon Seung-pyo, Director of KISTI's Global R&D Analysis Center, remarked, "Although there were variations depending on how the fields are categorized, the number of fields in which China surpasses the United States has increased, and China is publishing top 1% academic achievements centered around domestic authors. We have confirmed that the superpower demonstrated by Chinese academic achievements is closer to reality than exaggeration or misunderstanding, and it is observed that the trend of China's academic achievements continuing is something we must be cautious about as it may further strengthen in the future."