PRC Names Scientists To Party Leadership Roles
Dr. Namrata Goswami
For the People’s Republic of China (PRC), investing in indigenous development of space technology as well as more general science and technology (S&T) has been a priority for a couple of decades. Self-reliance in S&T implies assuming leadership positions, which, as per a 2021 speech by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping, is the PRC’s key strategic goal for the next two decades. The key aspect of this shift in prioritization is the critical strategic contribution that S&T brings to national development. In fact, Xi has made it clear that S&T is now a core interest for the party, for which there will be no compromise.
This shift occurred during the 19th National Congress of the CCP in 2017 and was reiterated in the 20th National Congress held in October 2022. Some of the areas now identified as core by the CCP are quantum information, stem cell research, brain science, lunar and Mars missions, artificial intelligence, satellite internet, and robotics. Reflecting on the 20th National Congress, key S&T priority areas will guide the PRC’s development for the next two decades.
Upgrading space, S&T within CCP structure
This is one of the most insightful developments in the organizational structure of the CCP. Critically, the Central Committee of the CCP, which has 205 members, now includes 29 new members with science and technology backgrounds. Appointing space scientists and those with engineering backgrounds to central party membership as well as leadership of critical Chinese provinces demonstrates the emphasis on a technical background under Xi’s leadership.
Six Politburo members have science and technology backgrounds, including space science and nuclear energy. Among the most notable are Xinjiang Party Secretary Ma Xingrui and Zhejiang Party Secretary Yuan Jiajun, who were aerospace leaders steering the PRC’s space program before their political appointments.
Ma was vice president of the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and was chief engineer for the Shijian 5 satellite project. Ma went on to become the deputy general manager of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), as well as director of the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, under which falls the China National Space Administration (CNSA). He was also a member of the Central Military Commission.
Yuan Jiajun, a graduate of the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, was the vice president of CASC and former president of CAST. Yuan contributed to the PRC’s Chang’e lunar mission, the country’s first reentry space module, and pushed for partnership with Russia on the PRC’s Mars mission.
Another aerospace veteran, Jin Zhuanglong, now heads the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which directs and formulates China’s industrial policy. Jin formerly served as deputy director of the Office of the Central Military Civilian Integration Development Commission and was deputy general manager of CASC. Critically, Jin was commander-in-chief of the C919 project, China’s first indigenous passenger plane project. In 2004, he was appointed secretary general of the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and served as deputy director of the CNSA.
Another notable name from the CCP Central Committee is Zhang Hongwen, former vice governor of Anhui province who also worked at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp.
This trend indicates the rapid upward mobility of those with education in technical fields and who have served in the PRC’s aerospace sector. In fact, those with substantial aerospace experience have been rewarded with provincial leadership positions as well as elite appointments to the highest decision-making bodies of the CCP, including the Politburo and the Central Committee. It is the first time in CCP history that two members of the Politburo have an aerospace background.
STEM, space innovation tied to leadership
The promotion of Politburo and Central Committee members with science and technology, space, military science and nuclear energy backgrounds are clear signals to the world that developing the PRC’s science and technology industrial base is a key political priority for the CCP. One can estimate this shift from the amount of money China spends on S&T research and development (R&D), the number and quality of peer-reviewed articles being published, and the growing budget for the country’s civilian and commercial space programs.
According to a National Science Foundation (NSF) report from April 2022, while the United States remains the global leader in R&D spending ($708 billion in 2020), China’s R&D spending was not far behind, reaching $526 billion in 2020. As per the NSF report, “the average annual rate of increase in China’s R&D total (10.6% from 2010-19) continues to greatly exceed that of the United States (5.6%).” This surge in funding is geared toward meeting the country’s innovation strategy, directed by its “Made in China 2025” road map.
Data compiled by Japan’s National Institute of Science and Technology Policy revealed that the PRC leads the field in terms of the most-cited science papers (27.2%) compared with the U.S. (24.9%) in 2018, 2019 and 2020. From 2018 through 2020, the PRC overtook the U.S. in the number of peer-reviewed scientific papers published in scientific journals annually (averaging 407,181 per year compared with 293,434). It also led in the number of top 10% most-cited papers, according to the institute’s 2022 report. While some tend to question the quality of these Chinese publications, the dissent appears more opinionated than fact-based and perhaps underestimates the PRC’s growing science capabilities.
The PRC is also quickly becoming a leader in people holding STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) doctoral degrees, according to data compiled by Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technologies. The center’s report, “China is Fast Outpacing U.S. STEM PhD Growth,” indicates that while the PRC was behind the U.S. in 2000 — with Chinese universities granting 9,098 STEM Ph.D.s that year compared with the 18,209 for the U.S. — the nation overtook the U.S. a decade later, granting 34,801 STEM Ph.D.s in 2010 compared with 26,076 in the U.S. In 2019, Chinese universities granted 49,448 STEM Ph.D.s compared with 33,759 from U.S. universities. The report suggests that by 2025, the PRC will have double the number of STEM Ph.D. graduates of the U.S.
It is clear that under Xi’s leadership, the PRC’s innovation in space and S&T is a core national strategy goal. Xi’s stress on building an education and research foundation for long-term Chinese leadership in space and S&T — and his decision to reward those with aerospace/science backgrounds with top CCP leadership positions — shows that the country takes the development of indigenous strategic technologies seriously.
In 2016, Xi equated the spirit of aerospace to the spirit of Mao Zedong’s Long March. The PRC’s development of its S&T and space sectors indicates that under Xi’s leadership, the country aspires to dominate in this field in the next two decades and establish its leadership in the frontier of technology and innovation.