China's research and development expenditures in science and engineering are second only to those of the US, according to a new report from the National Science Foundation. Its increased spending has also spurred growth in the number of publications from Chinese authors.
In its Science and Engineering Indicators 2016 report, NSF examines R&D performance, publications, intellectual property, and more in both developed and developing nations.
As Nature News notes, this year's report, like its previous incarnations, has found that Asian countries, particularly China, are producing more and more students and publications in science and engineering fields. "The scientific landscape is increasingly multipolar," Dan Arvizu, chairman of the National Science Board, which oversees the NSF and produces the report, tells Nature News.
It's also dotted with increased international collaborations, the report notes. In particular, it found that US researchers work most often with authors in China, as compared with other countries, and researchers in China and Canada write papers with US investigators more often than would be expected, as Nature News reports.
"Capacity building around the world in R&D and human capital infrastructure, along with improvements in communications technology, has facilitated the interconnected nature and greater international collaboration in S&E activities," the report adds.