As China’s era of catch-up growth fades, experts warn that profound issues in research culture and institutional incentives may hamstring the country’s ambition to become a leader in scientific innovation.
In a dialogue held at the Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS) last month, leading scholars discussed the hurdles China faces with Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wired magazine.
Lu Bai, a neurobiologist and the president of SANS, noted that China had been able to use Western scientific advances to make swift progress across multiple fields for decades, but this model of catching up was becoming less viable.
“The path is narrowing for two reasons: first, resistance from the external environment is growing; second, China has reached a stage where there’s not much left to simply replicate,” said Lu, according to a transcript of the dialogue published on July 27 by The Intellectual, a social media account he co-founded.
Lu said scholars had identified China’s rigid institutional system, which prioritises metrics over creativity, and an ingrained deference to authority as the core challenges slowing the country’s tech and scientific momentum.
Established in 2024, SANS is an independent, non-profit institute that provides scientists with stable, long-term support. The organisation, supervised by the Shanghai government, is part of the city’s efforts to develop its pilot zone for basic research.