The central Chinese government has pledged to increase R&D spending 12.4% this year to CNY 228.5 billion ($36.1 billion). Spending for basic research will rise 10.1% to CNY 32.5 billion. In addition, funding for new technologies for agriculture will rise 53% to CNY 10.1 billion. The increases are the latest in China’s continuing growth in R&D spending, which led it to surpass Japan in 2009 as the second-largest country in terms of R&D spending. However, the quality of such spending has been called into question. A recent World Bank report found that many of the country’s research articles have little impact and that most of its patents are for small improvements. Experts believe that more money must be spent on basic research. Only 5% of the country’s R&D spending last year was for basic research. Also, research initiatives led by the government tend to get much of the funding. Research initiated by individual scientists is mostly funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, whose 2011 funding amounted only to CNY 12.4 billion. In addition, spending decisions based on personal contacts and lack of transparency have limited who has access to funding.

Source: Nature