October 20, 2026
Landmark China Fundamental Research Report launches in Beijing
Major 40-year study of China’s basic research system released, with International Review Committee co-chaired by RoRI’s James Wilsdon and Ludo Waltman
The China Fundamental Research Report (2026) was officially launched at the China National Convention Center in Beijing today. Commissioned by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) to mark its 40th anniversary, the landmark study offers the first open, system-level, and data-driven account of how China has organised, funded, and evaluated its fundamental research landscape over the past four decades.
Attending the launch in Beijing, RoRI’s James Wilsdon, who co-chaired the International Review Committee of the report, shared his main reflections in a new RoRI Substack post. He notes that the report marks the moment “China kept a long promise” through 40 years of continuous funding and heavy backing for early-career researchers, while praising its unprecedented openness about gaps in international collaboration and missing data.
In a companion essay published on Frontiers Policy Labs, James further explores the implications of the report alongside the rise of AI in research evaluation, questioning whether sheer output volume leads to true scientific progress or dilution.
The open data and metascience approaches featured in the China Fundamental Research Report will also connect directly to RoRI’s upcoming 18-country study, Seize the Meta-Moment!, set for release on 3 November.
The publication of the China Fundamental Research Report has drawn widespread attention across global science media. Coverage in Times Higher Education examines how China “played the long game” to become a research powerhouse, while lead author Professor Lin Zhang (Wuhan University) outlined a call for open, global measurement standards in a World View column for Nature.
Join the online launch event
To discuss the report’s findings, methods, and data, RoRI and UCL will co-host the first online international discussion of the report alongside the NSFC–Wuhan University Observatory on Tuesday 27 October (14:00–16:00 UK time), featuring lead authors and global research policy experts. Register here.
