China’s five-year plan focuses on scientific self-reliance

The last time China tried to rely on self-reliance was when China expanded the Great Wall and decommissioned its world class advanced naval ship fleet in the 15th century during the Ming dynasty! The result: China descended into backwardness until European colonial powers showed up centuries later!

"Scientific and technological self-reliance takes centre stage in China’s latest five-year plan — a result of recent tensions with the United States and other Western nations spilling over into the realm of science, say researchers. ...

For example, late last year, the United States restricted exports to China of advanced microchips used in smartphones, out of concerns that the chips could be used for military purposes. The incident revealed a major bottleneck in the application of home-grown advances in basic research to fulfill China’s technological needs ...

because Western countries impose greater restrictions than normal on scientific collaborations with Chinese researchers in sensitive areas of research, it will become more difficult for researchers to work together.

China’s joint push for self-reliance and industrial collaboration will mean that fundamental science will be increasingly directed towards fields of importance to [the Communist Party of China] ..."

China’s five-year plan focuses on scientific self-reliance Global tensions, limits on international collaboration and an emphasis on real-world applications drive the nation’s vision for research