‘China on track to be future technology superpower’

Sydney, Australia, Mar 2 (EFE).- China is on track to be the world’s science and technology superpower ahead of the United States, says a critical tech tracker report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

The tracker reporter released on Thursday has found that China has established “a sometimes stunning lead in high-impact research across the majority of critical and emerging technology domains.”

The report says that China has built the foundations to be the “leading science and technology superpower” and has established“a sometimes stunning lead in high-impact research in critical and emerging technology domains.

“China’s global lead extends to 37 out of 44 technologies that ASPI is now tracking,” said the report.

The United States leads research in seven technologies, including the design and development of semiconductors, quantum computers, and vaccines. The rest of the countries are further behind in all areas.

The tracker covers a range of crucial technology fields spanning defense, space, robotics, energy, the environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials, and key quantum technology areas.

The report shows that, for some technologies, all of the world’s top 10 leading research institutions are based in China, collectively generating nine times more high-impact research papers than the second-ranked country, most often the US.

The report warned that if the trend remained unchecked, it could shift not just technological development and control “but global power and influence to an authoritarian state where the development of emerging, critical and military technologies is not transparent.”

“…and where it cannot be scrutinized by independent civil society and media.”

Notably, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been a particularly high performer, ranking in the top 5 in 27 of the 44 technologies tracked by ASPI.

“US technology companies are well represented in some areas, including in the AI category,” the tracker says.

The report says that China appears to be making strides and has recognized the “choke-point” of being entirely reliant on US and Swedish companies for the precision-grade stainless steel required for bearings in high-performance aircraft engines.

“China’s excellent research performance in this area most likely reflects the prioritisation and investment by the (Communist Party of China) CCP to overcome the reliability, and choke-point, hurdles of previous years.”

The authors of the report said the findings should be “a wake-up call for democratic nations.”

They called for urgent policy changes, increased investment, and global collaboration from many countries “to close the enormous and widening gap.”

“The costs of catching up will be significant, but the costs of inaction could be far greater.” EFE

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