King's College London

China is rapidly emerging as a global science and technology leader, yet many governments remain slow to recognise the scale of this transformation according to a King's China expert.

Writing in Nature, Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute warns that “most of the outside world has still not woken up to this fact”.

On 23 October, the Chinese Communist Party announced a five-year plan centred on “high-quality development” and “innovation as the fundamental driving force”.

Brown argues that policymakers should take this seriously for three reasons.

“Firstly, China has the incentive - and it is not just words but hard cash. Plus, China has the human capital, too,” he says.

The numbers are striking. R&D investment has increased nearly sixfold since 2007, overtaking the European Union and approaching US levels.

In 2020, China produced 3.6 million STEM graduates compared with 820,000 in the United States, and by 2022, 50,000 STEM PhDs graduated in China.

“Going forwards, it will be these young Chinese scientists who will drive progress,” Professor Brown writes.

Recent developments underscore this ambition. The January release of DeepSeek, an AI app developed by a Hangzhou-based company, was “a powerful symbolic moment” proving China can produce its own AI systems.

Despite limitations, Professor Brown notes, the app signals China’s determination to achieve technological autonomy – but cautions against framing this as a new cold war:

“Unlike the Soviet Union, China is integrated in global supply chains, capital flows and international trade. It can’t be decoupled from the rest of the world.”

Instead, he calls for “multidimensional pragmatic diplomacy” that prioritises areas of convergence, such as climate change and AI safety.

At the 2023 AI Safety Summit in the UK, China joined 20 nations in pledging to address AI risks collectively.

Challenges remain however, including intellectual property disputes and competition in fields like quantum computing.

Brown stresses that “the main challenge for governments will be how to create frameworks and deals to gain equitable access to Chinese technology”.

He said: “The key will be to encourage China to take on an international role in areas that might not benefit it directly but will be for the greater good of all.”

Brown concludes with a warning: “This is a country on the cusp of a technological revolution. It merits deeper study, not knee-jerk reactions.”

 

Read more: Why the world must wake up to China’s science leadership

Nature 647 823 (2025)