Celebrated as the inventor of development milestones such as the compass and printing, China is aspiring to become a global player in science and technology in the 21st century, casting off decades of neglect of academia and political persecution of intellectuals.

A leading British think-tank predicted this month that China is on the way to becoming a scientific superpower, thanks to the massive increase in its spending on research and a trend for scientists to return home from abroad.

"The center of gravity of innovation has started moving from the West to the East," the newly released report by the London-based Demos, "The Atlas of Ideas: Mapping the New Geography of Science", says. It goes on to warn that the pre-eminence of the United States and Europe in scientific innovation can no longer be taken for granted.

The Demos report is not the first to pinpoint China efforts at reviving its scientific capabilities. A recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) claimed that in 2006 China had overtaken Japan as the world's third-largest spender on research and development (R&D) after the United States and the European Union, spending a total of US$136 billion.

The drive to implement the concept of "scientific development" has indeed become one of the tenets of China top leadership in recent years. President Hu Jintao has called on China to transform itself into an "innovative country" by 2020. The government's target for China is to establish itself as a scientific powerhouse is 2050.

The top leadership's ambitious agenda has resonated with the public. A recent television documentary broadcast by China Central Television, The Rise of the Great Nations, received high rates of approval for showcasing innovation as a key element in creating a superpower.

"We need to undo the influence of our Confucian heritage in thinking that dutifully pursuing knowledge is everything," wrote an anonymous netizen on an Internet forum. "The examples of the US and Japan show that only by fully embracing technology and science can a country achieve great power."

Optimistic projections aside, in terms of concrete scientific achievements China figures are less impressive. In 2005, China ranked No 10 globally in the number of international patent applications filed, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. The same year China spent only $30 billion on R&D.

Experts believe the surge in research spending in 2006 reported by the OECD is partly tied to foreign companies moving some of their research operations to China, and to the fact that a lot of research talent and advance equipment is internationally mobile.

Chinese government officials have tried for years to persuade multinationals to invest in local research sites but these efforts have been hampered by the weakness of China intellectual-property-protection regime. The United States has complained for years and recently threatened a World Trade Organization copyright case against Chinese companies producing illegal optical disks and computer software.

Nevertheless, government pledges to support scientific development and improve standards of intellectual-property protection have succeeded in persuading a range of multinationals, in telecommunications and computer industries in particular, to site their research centers in China. Last year many pharmaceutical multinationals such as Pfizer, Roche, Novartis and Bayer announced they were also forging ahead with research initiatives in China.

The trend of outsourcing R&D to China is expected to continue, with the country poised to become the second largest if not the largest market for cars, mobile phones and other products.

The rising number of multinational research centers, the steady return of scientists from China from abroad, and the growing pool of China own university graduates are seen as some of the factors that will determine China emergence as a scientific superpower, according to the Demos report.

China leadership has unveiled plans to boost investment in scientific R&D to 900 billion yuan ($116 billion) by 2020. By then, Beijing hopes research spending will account for 2.5% of gross domestic product.

Though China spending on R&D has increased by 20% a year since 1999, much of the research is tied to developing items for domestic consumers, not scientific breakthroughs. A few high-tech sectors such as space technology and biotechnology have benefited from high-level government support.

The Demos report warns that China rigid institutional system and unreformed educational system could also hamper China long-term scientific progress. China education relies heavily on memorization and fosters little critical thinking.

This article was researched and produced by Posicionarte for China Trading Company , 2007
Author Bio:

Eric Castro Mattas, is chief editor of Posicionarte researching and producing articles for China Trading Company. If you need products from China please visit www.chinatrading-company.com