China surpasses US in competition for key technologies

The study found that China has a “striking lead” in 37 of 44 key emerging technologies including defense, space, robotics, energy, environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials and quantum technology.

Illustration photo.

The ASPI report argues that Western countries have lost out in the global competition for research output. In some fields, all of the world’s top 10 research institutions are based in China.

The US is in second place, even though it leads the world in research in areas such as high-performance computing, quantum computing, small satellites and vaccines, according to a study funded by the US State Department.

The report points out that Western countries are losing out in the global technological competition, including the race for scientific breakthroughs and research, and urges governments to invest more in research.

The report calls on Western nations to increase cooperation to create secure supply chains and rapidly pursue the development of strategically important technologies.

Over the past five years, China has produced 48.49 percent of the world's high-impact research papers on advanced aircraft engines, including hypersonic engines, and the country has seven of the world's top 10 research institutions, the ASPI research report added.

In the fields of photonic sensing and quantum communications, China's research prowess could give it a “shortcut” to Western intelligence surveillance, including that of the intelligence agencies of five countries, the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

China is likely to emerge with a monopoly in 10 key areas including synthetic biology, which generates a third of all research, as well as electric batteries, 5G technology and nanomanufacturing.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences, a government research body, ranks first or second in most of 44 key technology fields, including defense, space, robotics, energy, environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials and quantum technology.

China is bolstering its research activities with knowledge gained abroad, and data shows that one-fifth of China's top researchers were trained in one of the world's most technologically advanced countries: the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The study recommends visa screening programs to curb illegal technology transfers and instead advocates international cooperation with allies in new technologies.