China cements place in scientific elite

Full swing

Despite the economies of China and many other countries coming under pressure in recent years, the nation's scientific development is still in full swing with no signs of slowing.

In 2017, China's total spending on research and development hit a record 1.76 trillion yuan ($259 billion), a year-on-year rise of 12.3 percent, according a report published by the National Bureau of Statistics. The figure was second only to the R&D budget of the United States.

China now boasts the largest number of science-related workers, reaching a record 6.21 million researchers in 2017, according to the NBS. However, with a population of more than 1.3 billion, the country trails other major nations in terms of the density of its scientific workforce.