Balancing national priorities and basic research in China

As China rises as a global science power, its government has increased efforts to align basic research with national priorities, such as economic growth, environmental sustainability, and national security. In a Policy Forum, Andrew Kennedy discusses how this increasing emphasis on national priorities creates tension with basic research in China – a pattern that reflects broader global trends – and the potential risks of prioritizing near-term objectives over long-term scientific discovery. According to the author, neglecting curiosity-driven research while expanding support for near-term priorities is short-sighted. Without it, transformative innovations – from mRNA vaccines to quantum computers – would not be possible. “We should strive to avoid a world in which science is an increasingly nationalistic endeavor,” Kennedy writes. Although China has expressed support for “original innovation” for decades, government bodies in China, including the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education, have increasingly implemented measures to steer scientific efforts and funding toward strategic national goals to ensure technological self-reliance amid geopolitical competition. While this approach can potentially yield transformative advancements, it also risks stifling basic research, which has traditionally underpinned scientific breakthroughs. Additionally, the growing entanglement of science with national agendas threatens international collaboration and could pose significant barriers to the free exchange of knowledge and talent, particularly with the United States. To mitigate these risks as China seeks to assert itself as a leader in global innovation, Kennedy argues that the government needs to balance targeted investments with sustained support for fundamental research. Maintaining openness and transparency in scientific endeavors is also essential, he says. It helps foster global progress while avoiding the pitfalls of an increasingly nationalistic scientific landscape.