How much do we really know about China?

 
Oh Se-jung


The author is a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy and a former president at Seoul National University. 
 
 
Around the world, perceptions of China’s scientific and technological capabilities are undergoing a fundamental shift. For years, particularly in the West, China was seen as a country that relied on low-cost labor to mass-produce knockoff goods. Today, however, there is growing recognition that China has emerged as a producer of world-class technology and industrial products.
 

A laborer works on an assembly line during an organized press tour in the AVATR EV factory in Chongqing, China, May 20, 2025. AVATR Technology is a premium EV brand created through a joint venture led by Changan Automobile. [EPA/YONHAP]

 
A major trigger in this shift was the recent “DeepSeek shock.” Despite lacking access to cutting-edge semiconductors due to U.S. export controls, a small Chinese AI research firm successfully developed a large language model that can rival those from tech giants like OpenAI. What made the development more remarkable was that DeepSeek reportedly used domestically produced semiconductors rather than Nvidia’s top-tier chips.
 
This success is not an isolated case. Even before the DeepSeek development, there was mounting evidence that China’s science and technology had already reached global standards. In the drone sector, for example, the Chinese company DJI holds more than 70 percent of the global market. China is also the largest market for robotics and controls over 40 percent of global market share.
 

A man rests at the booth for Chinese dynamic random access memory producer ChangXin Memory Technologies during the SEMICON China 2025 event in Beijing on Nov. 20, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

 
In electric vehicles, which are considered a key future industry amid global environmental concerns, Chinese companies now account for more than 60 percent of global market share. BYD, a major Chinese EV maker, overtook Tesla in 2024 to become the world’s top-selling EV manufacturer. In the secondary battery sector, CATL captured 36.8 percent of the global market in the first quarter of 2024. Korean firms like LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On continue to struggle to maintain their competitiveness and market share.
 
Beyond commercial success, China is also leading in intellectual property. Since 2019, China has topped the world in international patent applications. Huawei, in particular, has consistently ranked No. 1 among global patent filers. In 2023, four of the top 10 patent-filing companies were Chinese. Academic research is another area of rapid growth. China leads the world in the number of scientific papers published, and according to the Nature Index 2025 on research impact, eight of the top 10 institutions were Chinese.
 
In artificial intelligence, a sector expected to dominate future economies, China is standing toe-to-toe with the United States. Over the past decade, 70 percent of global patents related to generative AI were filed in China, and 47 percent of top-tier AI talent worldwide reportedly originates from China.
 

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Historically, it is rare for a country to transition from a scientific backwater to a global leader in such a short time. Perhaps only the post–World War II United States, which benefited from an influx of European scientists, offers a comparable case.
 
China has even begun to make bold decisions that defy global trends. In a June interview with the People’s Daily, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei revealed that his company invested 11 trillion won ($8.1 billion) — 30 percent of its research and development budget — into basic research last year. That figure is nearly five times the 2.34 trillion won budget the Korean government allocated for basic research in 2024.
 
Even more surprising, China’s government itself is spending roughly 48 trillion won on basic research, with a focus on physics, chemistry, and ICT — fields that closely align with Huawei’s business interests. In contrast to global trends, where most private firms hesitate to invest in long-term basic research, Huawei appears committed. What goal is driving such investment? Despite asking around, I could not find a satisfying answer.
 

Korea and China holds a joint committee meeting on a bilateral free trade agreement in Seoul on Dec. 9, 2024. [Yonhap]

 
In Korea, we have many experts on the United States and Japan but far fewer who study China in depth. This is surprising given how critical China is to Korea’s future. Of course, understanding any country is difficult, especially one as vast and complex as China. Yet analyzing the causes and implications of China’s scientific rise is essential to preparing for Korea’s future. After all, China and Korea are fated to compete globally in advanced manufacturing.
 
But a narrow focus on science and technology policy is not enough. In modern society, issues are deeply interconnected. A balanced perspective requires understanding China’s political system, unique social culture, and broader national strategy.
 
It is time to ask: How much do we really know about China? The answer may shape Korea’s trajectory in the years to come.


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.