A new report released Thursday shows China significantly outpaces the United States in critical research categories. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s (ASPI) Critical Technology Tracker, Beijing’s investment in research on defense and energy technologies, advanced materials and other sectors has made it the world’s leading developer in those sectors and positions it to achieve significant breakthroughs in the future.
Of the 44 total, China leads in 37, while the U.S. is ahead in the remaining seven. China’s government-driven research programs have produced a “stunning lead in high-impact research,” an accompanying report found. “In the long term, China’s leading research position means that it has set itself up to excel not just in current technological development in almost all sectors, but in future technologies that don’t yet exist,” ASPI wrote.
China is ‘dominating’ with the highest lead in defense and space-related technologies; advanced aircraft engines in particular. The Daily Caller reports:
Chinese researchers produced nearly half of the high quality research papers — 48.5% — on advanced aircraft engines, to include hypersonics, ASPI found. Seven of the world’s top ten research institutions focused on the study area are located in China, and the Chinese government’s Academy of Sciences dominated research across the board.
China surprised the U.S. in 2021 with a hypersonic missile test demonstrating capabilities beyond those of the U.S. at the time. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley called the incident a “near-Sputnik moment.”
According to the State Department, China’s policy of “military-civil fusion,” wherein it exploits the efforts of private companies, supports the People’s Liberation Army’s goal “develop the most technologically advanced military in the world.”
ASPI also issued warnings such as the fact that such surprises could be avoided had “Western nations picked up on Chinese interest in defense and technology research sooner.” Additionally, more Chinese nationals at research institutions abroad, especially in the U.S. and its top allies in intelligence, are returning home to contribute to China’s cutting-edge research.
Should the West fall farther behind China in these sectors, it would “allow China to gain a stranglehold on the global supply of certain critical technologies,” ASPI wrote.
“Such risks are exacerbated because of the willingness of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to use coercive techniques outside of the global rules-based order to punish governments and businesses, including withholding the supply of critical technologies,” the think tank continued.
ASPI is partially funded by the U.S. State Department, according to Reuters.
The National Security Council did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.