China’s science spending catches up with US

China’s investment in research and development (R&D) has reached the same level as the United States, and even surpassed it when adjusted for purchasing power, according to a March 2026 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Both countries now spend more than US$1 trillion on R&D. The milestone highlights China’s rapid scientific rise. But the report’s key message, experts say, is not about China’s growth. It is about America’s declining commitment to science. The United States has historically led global research. But recent cuts in federal funding and a shift in priorities, the report suggests, have slowed its progress. China, by contrast, has steadily increased state and private investment, building new labs, training more scientists, and publishing more high-impact studies. The OECD data shows that China now accounts for a larger share of global R&D spending than it did a decade ago. The US share has fallen. The report does not call China’s surge a threat. Instead, it warns that America’s retreat from science leadership could weaken its own innovation and economic competitiveness. “The problem is not that China is moving forward,” the report states. “The problem is that the United States is stepping back.” The findings come as both nations compete in fields like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. China’s gains, experts note, are the result of long-term planning. America’s losses, they argue, reflect short-term thinking.