China has seen fast progress in its technological innovation capabilities in the past five years, with research and development (R&D) spending rising substantially along with an increase in new patents and the number of researchers, Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said on Monday.
In 2017, total R&D spending in China reached 1.76 trillion yuan ($279.05 billion), up 70.9 percent from 2012, Wan told a press briefing in Beijing. Wan noted that China's number of research papers ranked No.2 in the world in 2017, its new patent numbers ranked No.1 and the number of researchers also ranked No.1.
China's overall global ranking in innovation capabilities rose to 17 in 2017 from 20 in 2012, according to the minister.
"Our country has become a technological power that has global influence," Wang said.
This year, Wan said, the Ministry of Science and Technology will issue a slew of policies to further boost the country's innovation capabilities and spearhead major international science and research projects.
