"The centre of gravity of innovation has started moving from the West to the East," the newly released report by the London-based Demos, 'The Atlas of Ideas: Mapping the New Geography of Science' says. It went on to warn that the pre-eminence of the United States and Europe in scientific innovation could no longer be taken for granted.

Demos report is not the first one to pinpoint China's efforts at reviving its scientific capabilities. A recent study from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) claimed that in 2006 China had overtaken Japan as the world's third largest spender on research and development (R&D) after the United States and European Union, spending a total of 136 billion US dollars.

The drive to implement the concept of "scientific development" has indeed become one of the tenets of China's top leadership in recent years. President Hu Jintao has called on China to transform itself into an "innovative country" by 2020. The government's target for China to establish itself as a scientific powerhouse is 2050.

The top leadership's ambitious agenda has resonated with the public. A recent TV documentary broadcasted by the Chinese Central Television 'The Rise of the Great Nations' received high rates of approval for showcasing innovation as a key element in creating a superpower.

"We need to undo the influence of our Confucian heritage in thinking that dutifully pursuing knowledge is everything," wrote one anonymous netizen on Internet forum. "The examples of the U.S. and Japan show that only by fully embracing technology and science can a country achieve great power."

Optimistic projections aside, in terms of concrete scientific achievements China's figures are less impressive. In 2005, China ranked No.10 globally in the number of international patent applications filed, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation. According to government statistics, the same year China spent only 30 billion dollars on research and development.

Experts believe the surge in research spending in 2006 reported by OECD is partly tied to foreign companies moving some of their research operations to China, and to the fact that a lot of research talent and advance equipment is internationally mobile.

Chinese government officials have tried for years to persuade multinationals to invest in local research sites but these efforts have been hampered by the weakness of China's intellectual property (IP) protection regime. The United States has complained for years, and recently threatened a WTO copyright case against Chinese companies producing illegal optical disks and computer software.

Nevertheless, government pledges to support scientific development and improve standards of IP protection have succeeded in persuading a range of multinationals, in telecommunications and computer industries in particular, to site their research centres in China. In 2006 many pharmaceutical multinationals such as Pfizer, Roche, Novartis and Bayer announced they are also forging ahead with research initiatives in China.

The trend of outsourcing research and development to China is expected to continue with the country poised to become the second largest if not the largest market in cars, mobile phones and other products.

The rising number of multinational research centres, as well as the steady return of Chinese scientists from abroad and the growing pool of China's own university graduates are seen as some of the factors that would determine China's emergence as a scientific superpower, according to Demos report.

"Beijing's university district alone has as many engineers as all of Western Europe, and you can imagine how dynamic the potential is," James Wildson, co-author of the Demos report, was quoted by the official 'China Daily'.

The Chinese leadership has unveiled plans to boost investment in scientific research and development to 900 billion yuan (116 billion dollars) by 2020. By then, Beijing hopes research spending would account for 2.5 percent of GDP.

Though China's spending on research and development has increased by 20 percent a year since 1999, much of the research is tied to developing items for domestic consumers, not scientific breakthroughs. Few high-tech sectors like space technology and biotechnology have benefited from high-level government support.

The Demos report warns that China's rigid institutional system and unreformed educational system could also hamper China's long-term scientific progress. China's education relies heavily on memorising techniques and fosters little critical thinking.

For all its calls for innovation the government and the ruling Communist party have not allowed honest account of the period of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) when liberal thinking was criminalised, teachers were beaten and academics persecuted.

Source: IPS - Inter Press Service News Agency