Abstract: As globalization enters a period of deep adjustment, technological innovation has become the core engine driving global economic recovery and sustainable development. China, as the world's second-largest economy, the largest industrial nation, and one of the most dynamic digital societies, has seen its total research and development (R&D) investment consistently rank among the highest globally. Consequently, the strategic direction of China's science and technology (S&T) policies exerts a significant influence on the evolution of the global innovation ecosystem. This paper aims to systematically demonstrate that the current and future Chinese S&T policy paradigm, which synergistically combines "high-level self-reliance and self-improvement" with "high-level opening up," serves not only as a strategic pillar for China to break through bottlenecks in key core technologies and build a new pattern of development but will also inject unprecedented strong momentum into technological innovation worldwide—for both developed and developing countries—through four core pathways: "knowledge spillover," "market drive," "platform building," and "contribution to the global commons."
The article will delve into the deep logic and macro context of this policy shift, elaborating on its mechanisms of action with case studies from specific fields. Finally, it will construct a multi-level, three-dimensional framework for international cooperation, ranging from "macro-policy coordination" to "micro-level entity interaction," proposing a series of actionable, specific methods and approaches to translate potential dividends into widespread growth and practical solutions, thereby jointly addressing the common challenges facing human society.
I. Introduction: Paradigm Shift – The Evolution of China's S&T Policy from "Integrator" to "Co-builder"
To understand the global implications of China's current S&T policies, they must be examined within the dual contexts of China's modernization journey and the changing global S&T landscape. Over more than forty years of reform and opening up, China's S&T development has followed a discernible evolutionary path: from the initial stage of "trading market for technology," to the intermediate stage of "integrated innovation and introduction, digestion, absorption, and re-innovation," to the new era's emphasis on "original innovation and independent controllability." This evolution is not an isolated event but a dynamic process closely linked to and mutually reinforcing China's economic strength, industrial structure, and international status.
In the early stages, the core of China's S&T policy was "integration." By establishing Special Economic Zones, encouraging foreign direct investment, and introducing advanced production lines, China successfully embedded itself into global value chains. During this phase, China primarily provided the world with a vast consumer market, efficient production capacity, and relatively low R&D costs. Its contribution to global technology was mainly evident at the industrialization end, accelerating the dissemination and cost reduction of mature technologies.
Entering the 21st century, particularly in its second decade, internal and external environments underwent drastic changes. Internally, China's economy shifted from high-speed growth to high-quality development, making it unsustainable to rely solely on traditional factor-driven growth and necessitating reliance on S&T innovation to shape new developmental dynamics. Externally, a new round of technological revolution (e.g., AI, biotechnology, new energy, new materials) is on the verge of major breakthroughs, intensifying global innovation competition. Simultaneously, rising unilateralism, protectionism, and the trend of "techno-nationalism" pose severe risks of "decoupling" and "supply chain disruption" to global S&T cooperation and exchange. The acute awareness of being "choked" by technological constraints has deeply impressed upon China's policymakers and society that key core technologies cannot be obtained, bought, or begged for.
It is against this complex backdrop that China's S&T policy has undergone a crucial paradigm shift: from passively "integrating" into the global innovation network to proactively "co-building" an open innovation global ecosystem. The core expression of this new paradigm is the dialectical unity of "achieving high-level sci-tech self-reliance and self-improvement" and "expanding high-level opening up." It must be clearly stated that "self-reliance and self-improvement" does not mean closing doors for reinvention or comprehensive substitution. Its underlying logic is that only by establishing strong independent innovation capabilities and mastering the initiative in key areas can China free itself from over-reliance on external technologies, thereby participating in global cooperation from a higher-level and more equal position, avoiding being constrained at critical moments. This is a strategic choice aimed at enhancing cooperative resilience, safeguarding innovation security, and ultimately achieving more sustainable mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
Therefore, the connotation of contemporary China's open S&T policy far surpasses simple technology trade or talent recruitment. It aims to build a "global innovation community" based on shared interests, shared risks, and shared outcomes. This strategic orientation is rooted in China's advantages of a supersized market, the world's most comprehensive industrial system, continuously growing and massive R&D investment (total R&D expenditure exceeded 3 trillion RMB in 2022, steadily ranking second in the world), and an increasingly large talent pool (China has the world's largest number of STEM graduates). The combined effect of these factors means that China's open policy is no longer merely a "recipient" of global innovation waves but is increasingly becoming a "source" and "contributing pole" capable of generating strong spillover effects, shaping technological trajectories, and even defining future industries. This paper will next systematically elaborate on how this shift specifically benefits global technological innovation.
II. Pathways and Deep Mechanisms: How China's Open S&T Policy Benefits Global Technological Innovation
The global benefits generated by China's open S&T policy are not zero-sum transfers of benefits but arise from positive externalities, economies of scale, and network effects generated through multiple pathways. The mechanisms of action are profound and diverse.
(A) Knowledge Spillover Effects: Inclusive Contributions from Basic Science to Open-Source Platforms
Knowledge, particularly scientific knowledge, possesses typical public good attributes. As China strengthens basic research and pursues original innovation, its scientific output will inevitably integrate into humanity's common knowledge base, generating widespread spillover effects.
1. International Sharing and Collaborative Exploration of Major Science Facilities: China has deployed and built a number of world-leading major science facilities, such as the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), the Spallation Neutron Source, and the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). These "national instruments" are increasingly becoming platforms for global scientists. For instance, FAST has established a fair and open observation time allocation mechanism, accepting applications from astronomers worldwide. This means that top-tier research facilities are no longer monopolized by a few countries but serve humanity's cosmic exploration endeavors. In the future, in areas like fusion energy (e.g., China's HL-3), space environment (e.g., China Space Station), and extreme-condition physics, major international science projects led or deeply participated in by China will become incubators for disruptive breakthroughs in fundamental theory, the fruits of which will be shared by the entire world.
2. Opening and Integration of Academic Knowledge Systems:
According to indicators like the Nature Index, China ranks among the top globally in the output of high-quality natural science papers. Despite issues with evaluation systems, the Chinese research community is actively promoting the Open Access movement, enabling more research results to be freely accessible to researchers worldwide, particularly institutions in developing countries, significantly lowering the barrier to knowledge access and promoting balanced development of global scientific capacity. Furthermore, collaborative research between Chinese scholars and international counterparts is increasingly frequent, and this deep intellectual collision fosters more cross-cultural, interdisciplinary innovative ideas.
3. Contribution to and Leadership in the Open-Source Ecosystem:
In applied technology, open source has become a core paradigm for technological innovation in the digital economy era. Chinese companies and social organizations are transitioning from being "users" and "participants" in open-source technology to becoming "major contributors" and even "leaders." Examples include Huawei's open-source Euler OS and MindSpore AI framework, Baidu's open-source PaddlePaddle deep learning platform, and Alibaba's numerous contributions to Apache Foundation projects. These actions not only provide powerful free tools for global developers but, more crucially, they build innovation ecosystems based on common technological foundations, enabling SMEs and individual developers worldwide to innovate at the application level at extremely low cost, standing on the shoulders of giants, thus creating a "blooming" prosperous landscape. This large-scale collaborative innovation based on open source greatly accelerates technological iteration and dissemination.
(B) Market-Driven Effects: Supersized Application Scenarios as an "Accelerator" for Technological Iteration
Economic theory suggests that market size is a key factor determining the rate and direction of technological innovation. China possesses a vast domestic market of over 1.4 billion people, including more than 400 million middle-income consumers, and a complete industrial system with comprehensive supply chains. This provides a globally unique "super testbed" and "large-scale application scenario" for new technologies and products.
1. Exemplar in the Green Technology Revolution:
To achieve its "Dual Carbon" goals, China has implemented the world's largest-scale plans for new energy installation and electric vehicle promotion. This certain demand, guided by national policy and supported by a huge market, has spurred explosive growth in industries like photovoltaics, wind power, power batteries, and energy storage. The massive market demand induces intense competition and innovation, leading to a more than 85% decrease in the cost of solar PV power generation over a decade, achieving grid parity. This "China scale" effect not only makes China a global manufacturing hub for green technology but, through sharply falling costs, makes clean energy like solar and wind economically feasible worldwide, significantly accelerating the global energy transition process. This is the most direct contribution of the Chinese market to global emission reduction efforts.
2. Incubation and Export of Digital Technology Business Models:
In areas like mobile payments, social commerce, shared mobility, smart logistics, and city brain systems, the complexity, diversity, and high consumer acceptance of new things in the Chinese market have spawned a batch of globally leading business models and technological solutions. Examples include the widespread adoption of QR code payments, the rise of live-streamed e-commerce, and urban traffic optimization based on big data. These technologies and models, tested by hundreds of millions of users daily, provide ready-made, validated digital solutions for other countries and regions, especially developing countries facing similar rapid development and infrastructure upgrade needs, helping them bypass traditional path dependencies and achieve "leapfrog" development.
3. Definition and Co-evolution of Future Industry Technologies:
In cutting-edge fields like 5G/6G communication, autonomous driving, low-altitude economy, AIoT, and bio-manufacturing, China's market potential acts like a powerful "magnet," attracting top global tech companies, talent, and capital for layout and cooperation. In this environment of open competition, technical standards, application paradigms, and business models are tested and gradually converge and mature through market practice. Global innovators can deeply interact with the Chinese market to co-define the form and function of next-generation products, achieving technological co-evolution. This effect of "learning by using" and "learning by doing" is unmatched by any closed laboratory environment.
(C) Platform-Building Effects: Proactively Building Infrastructure and Networks for Global Collaborative Innovation
China's open policy is upgrading from being an "attractor" of factors to an "organizer" and "platform builder" of innovation networks, committed to creating open, inclusive, and non-politicized stages for international cooperation.
1. Officially Led Multilateral Cooperation Plans:
The Belt and Road Initiative Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan is the most systematic embodiment. This plan through(jointly building joint laboratories), technology transfer centers, science park alliances, and innovation talent exchange programs, combines China's technology, funding, and experience with the resource endowments and development needs of partner countries. For example, the China-ASEAN Remote Sensing Satellite Data Sharing Center aids regional agricultural monitoring, disaster warning, and environmental protection. This "teaching how to fish" cooperation model significantly enhances the innovation capacity of partner countries and is an important practice for achieving the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
2. Construction of High-End Global Exchange Platforms:
China's continued hosting of events like the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, World Artificial Intelligence Conference, Boao Forum for Asia, and China International Import Expo has turned them into more than just windows for showcasing achievements; they are core hubs where global elites from government, business, and academia gather, exchange ideas, negotiate rules, and match projects. These platforms provide indispensable channels for dialogue on global issues like bridging the digital divide, discussing AI governance, and promoting cross-border e-commerce rules.
3. Hub Role in Transnational R&D Networks:
The Chinese government encourages and supports leading domestic universities, research institutes, and high-tech enterprises to set up overseas R&D centers, deeply integrating into global sources of innovation. Simultaneously, it welcomes multinational corporations and international research institutions to set up global or regional R&D headquarters in China with a more open attitude. This two-way flow creates a tight innovation network characterized by "you are in me, and I am in you." Within this network, knowledge, data, talent, and capital flow rapidly, with China becoming a key hub, enabling innovation activities to proceed collaboratively 24/7 across different global nodes, greatly enhancing overall innovation efficiency.
(D) Contribution to the Global Commons: Concentrating Efforts to Address Common Human Challenges
Faced with transboundary global challenges like climate change, major pandemics, food security, and the peaceful use of outer space, human destinies are closely linked. Leveraging its strong resource mobilization capacity and long-term perspective, China can play a vital role in S&T tackling these issues concerning humanity's common future.
1. Leadership in Climate Change:
As mentioned, China's investments and market scale effects in renewable energy are themselves a major contribution to the global commons. Additionally, China is actively promoting a Green Belt and Road, helping developing countries build clean energy projects. In cutting-edge technologies for combating climate change, such as controlled nuclear fusion, efficient energy storage, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage, China is not only an important R&D force but will inevitably be a key contributor to global once these technologies mature.
2. A Pillar of Global Public Health:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese scientists sequenced the virus genome in record time and shared it globally, demonstrating the spirit of scientific openness. Chinese vaccines, as a global public good, were supplied in large quantities to developing countries, contributing to the global immune barrier. In the future, guided by China's national biosecurity strategy, capacity building in areas like infectious disease surveillance and early warning, rapid vaccine development, and drug discovery will be crucial for building a resilient global public health system to respond to the next "Disease X."
3. Partner in the Peaceful Use of Space:
The China Space Station, as a national-level space lab, has announced it welcomes participation from other countries in scientific experiments. This provides a long-term, stable microgravity research platform for global scientists, promoting basic research in space life sciences, materials science, astronomical observation, etc., the results of which will benefit all humanity. China's progress in lunar and deep-space exploration also accumulates common knowledge wealth for humanity's expansion of living space and utilization of extraterrestrial resources.
III. Building a Multi-level Cooperation Framework: Concrete Paths to Translate Policy Dividends into Widespread Growth
Recognizing the global benefits of China's open S&T policy is the first step; more important is translating these potential opportunities into tangible innovation outcomes and economic growth through practical and efficient cooperation mechanisms. This requires the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders: government, industry, academia, and civil society.
(A) Macro-Strategic Level: The Role of Governments and International Organizations – Fostering an Open, Fair, and Predictable Institutional Environment
1. Deepen Strategic Alignment and Policy Dialogue:
◦ Establish Regular High-Level S&T Dialogue Mechanisms:
At bilateral and multilateral levels (e.g., China-US, China-EU, China-ASEAN, BRICS), establish regular dialogue mechanisms at the vice-premier or science minister level for strategic communication on S&T policies, R&D priorities, and large project planning to reduce miscalculation and build consensus.
◦ Promote Interconnection of Technical Standards and Rules:
Actively participate in and lead work in international standards organizations, promoting the formation of widely accepted international standards and rules in areas like the digital economy, AI ethics, cross-border data flow, and cybersecurity to avoid market fragmentation and technical barriers due to standard differences.
2. Innovate Models for International Cooperation Projects:
◦ Co-build and Co-manage Major Science Facilities:
Move beyond simple "financial participation" models, exploring "whole-process co-construction" from project conception, design, engineering construction, to operation management, ensuring fairness in intellectual contribution and benefit sharing.
◦ Set Up Targeted Multinational Joint Research Funds:
Emulating the successful experience of China's participation in Horizon Europe, establish joint funding initiatives with major S&T powers targeting specific challenges (e.g., brain science, climate change adaptation technologies), using a "challenge" model to attract the world's best teams.
3. Optimize the Governance System for Cross-Border Flow of Innovation Factors:
◦ Implement More Open and Convenient Talent Policies:
Provide "one-stop" services and long-term visa for foreign high-level talents and young researchers working in China. Establish more attractive international postdoctoral and visiting scholar programs.
◦ Build Safe and Efficient Cross-Border Data Flow Mechanisms:
While safeguarding national data sovereignty and personal privacy, explore the establishment of standardized data export channels through tools like "white lists" and certification standards to provide data support for international research collaboration.
(B) Meso-Industrial Level: The Role of Enterprises and Industrial Clusters – Building Resilient, Complementary, and Innovative Supply and Value Chains
1. Form Future-Oriented Industrial Technology Innovation Alliances:
◦ Focus on Cutting-Edge Technology Fields:
Encourage leading enterprises from various countries to form transnational "technology alliances" in frontier areas like 6G, next-generation AI, advanced semiconductor processes, and synthetic biology. Alliance members can pool resources for pre-competitive R&D on basic technologies and standards, sharing intellectual property and reducing R&D risk and cost for individual firms.
◦ Promote "Greening" and "Digitalization" Synergy in Supply Chains:
Centered on carbon neutrality goals, Chinese and foreign enterprises can engage in deep cooperation on green design, clean production, circular economy, etc., jointly developing carbon footprint tracking tools to create transparent green supply chains.
2. Optimize the Layout and Collaboration of Global R&D Networks:
◦ Support "Reverse Innovation" and "In-Local R&D":
Encourage multinational corporations to set up R&D centers in China that serve not only the Chinese market but also global needs. Simultaneously, support leading Chinese enterprises in establishing frontier technology research institutes in global innovation hubs, achieving effective integration of global wisdom.
◦ Promote Integration and Development of Large, Medium, and Small Enterprises:
Through establishing international technology transfer platforms and hosting cross-border innovation challenges, enable global "hidden champion" SMEs and tech startups with unique technologies to easily connect with the innovation needs and market resources of large Chinese enterprises, forming a "large hand pulls small hand" collaborative innovation ecosystem.
3. Strengthen Intellectual Property Protection and International Cooperation:
◦ Adhere to High-Standard International IPR Rules:
Chinese enterprises need to further enhance IPR protection awareness and strictly comply with international rules. Meanwhile, the Chinese government should continuously improve the judicial and administrative protection system for IPR, providing a fair, just, and predictable legal environment for both domestic and foreign-invested enterprises.
◦ Establish Efficient IPR Dispute Resolution Mechanisms:
Explore setting up internationally recognized IPR arbitration and mediation centers to provide fast, professional channels for resolving disputes that may arise in transnational technology cooperation.
(C) Micro-Foundational Level: The Role of Academia and Research Institutions – Consolidating Humanity's Knowledge Foundation, Cultivating Future Leaders
1. Promote Deep Sharing of S&T and Education Infrastructure:
◦ Co-build Physical and Virtual Joint Laboratories:
Build joint laboratories with world-leading universities and research institutions around global scientific questions, achieving mutual appointment of researchers, course selection, credit recognition, and equipment sharing.
◦ Build Transnational Scientific Data Infrastructure:
Lead or participate in building large international scientific databases for life sciences, earth observation, materials genomics, etc., and promote their open access to the world according to FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
2. Build a Comprehensive Talent Cultivation and Exchange Network:
◦ Expand High-Level Joint Education and Degree Programs:
Support substantive cooperation in running schools between domestic universities and overseas prestigious institutions, jointly designing curricula and conferring dual degrees, cultivating compound talents with international perspectives.
◦ Implement More Attractive International Scholar Programs:
Establish international senior research awards and young scholar funds named after Chinese scientists to attract top global scientists for medium to long-term research visits in China.
3. Lead the Construction of Responsible Research and Ethical Norms:
◦ Jointly Develop Ethical Guidelines for Emerging Technologies:
In sensitive fields like AI, gene editing, and neurotechnology, Chinese and foreign academic institutions should collaborate on research into ethical, legal, and social implications, jointly formulating globally consensus-based codes of conduct for scientific research to ensure technology development aligns with common human values.
◦ Strengthen Science Communication Cooperation for the Public:
Jointly produce high-quality, multilingual popular science products and hold large-scale science exhibitions to enhance global public scientific literacy, fostering a healthy social atmosphere for S&T innovation.
IV. Facing Challenges, Seeking Solutions Together
To seek solutions together, all parties need to demonstrate maximum political wisdom and strategic patience:
1. Adhere to the "De-politicization" Principle:
Isolate S&T cooperation from political differences as much as possible, focus on the merits, and concentrate on solving specific scientific and technical problems.
2. Enhance Transparency and Build Trust:
Gradually accumulate mutual trust through measures like increased joint assessments and open lab visits.
3. Advocate the Spirit of Open Science:
Reaffirm the fundamental principle that science has no borders, encouraging the scientific community to play an active role in maintaining cooperative traditions.
V. Conclusion: Towards a Future of a Global Innovation Community
Throughout the history of human science and technology, from the Arab world preserving and developing ancient Greek learning, to the intellectual fusion of the European Renaissance, to the global spread of modern science, the progress of civilization has always been accompanied by the flow of knowledge and the collision of wisdom. At a time when human destinies are more interconnected than ever before, any attempt to build technological barriers and fragment innovation networks is tantamount to going against the historical tide and will ultimately harm the long-term interests of all nations.
The open S&T policy advocated and practiced by China is its firm response, as a responsible major country, to the epochal question of "what is wrong with the world and what should we do?" It signifies China's transition from a "latecomer" to modernization to an active contributor dedicated to "consultation, contribution, and shared benefits" in co-building the future technological civilization with countries worldwide. The core of this policy is to place China's development within the grand coordinate system of global development, making China's market the world's market, China's platforms the world's platforms, and China's wisdom a contribution to the world's challenges.
Countries around the world, especially major S&T powers, should view China's rise as an opportunity for the expansion and enhancement of the global innovation system, with a long-term perspective and broad-mindedness, transcending the outdated zero-sum mindset. Through the multi-level, three-dimensional cooperation network guided by governments, led by enterprises, supported by academia, and promoted by civil society as described above, we are fully capable of translating the enormous potential inherent in China's open policy into a powerful driving force for promoting global technological innovation, fostering inclusive economic growth, and solving common challenges of human society. Only by adhering to the principle of solidarity, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation can humanity jointly steer the tide of the technological revolution and sail towards a more prosperous, intelligent, and sustainable future.