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[Text/Observer Network Xiong Chaoran] In the process of becoming the global leader in the field of electric vehicles step by step, China relies on its proud battery technology, which has also attracted the attention of the United States and the West. While the United States and European countries are willing to launch a trade conflict against China for this, they are also exploring how China has established strong scientific and technological strength, including in the fields of batteries.

On August 9, The New York Times published a report on this topic with a rather sour tone. It stated bitterly that decades ago, researchers at a university laboratory in Texas discovered how to make batteries using abundant and cheap minerals. It was based on these early discoveries that Chinese companies figured out how to keep batteries powerful and able to withstand day-to-day charging for more than a decade. These companies are now manufacturing large quantities of such batteries at low cost and reliably, producing most of the world's electric vehicles and many other clean energy systems.

The report then noted that a much larger proportion of Chinese students major in science, mathematics and engineering than students in other major countries, and this proportion is rising even though overall enrollment in higher education has increased more than 10-fold since 2000.

In addition, China's spending on research and development has also surged, tripling in the past decade and ranking second in the world after the United States. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a well-known "anti-China think tank", has recently hyped up the fact that Chinese researchers have published the most widely cited papers in 52 of the 64 key technologies.

On July 5, 2024, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2024) was held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. IC Photo

The New York Times reportedly cited the battery field as an example, pointing out that China's leading advantage in this field is particularly obvious. According to ASPI data, 65.5% of the widely cited battery technology papers came from Chinese researchers, compared to only 12% from the United States.

The world's two largest electric vehicle battery manufacturers, CATL and BYD, are both Chinese companies. In China, there are nearly 50 graduate programs focusing on battery chemistry or subjects closely related to battery metallurgy. In contrast, only a handful of professors in the United States work on batteries.

Hillary Smith, a professor of battery physics at Swarthmore College in the United States, said that American college students are also becoming more and more interested in battery research. But if they want to do battery research, most people have to choose other majors because there are too few places and the competition is very fierce.

In contrast, the New York Times also introduced Central South University in Changsha, Hunan, and said that in this city, which has long been the center of China's chemical industry, the strong academic atmosphere and advanced facilities and equipment on the campus of Central South University can show the roots of the success of China's battery industry.

"Batteries are just one example of China catching up with or surpassing 'advanced industrial democracies' in terms of technological and manufacturing maturity. China has made many breakthroughs in a long list of fields, from pharmaceuticals to drones to high-efficiency solar panels." The article wrote that the United States has maintained its technological leadership since World War II, and China's challenge to this status is reflected in budgets and plans involving education and business.

June 30, 2023, Shenzhen 2023 International Digital Energy Exhibition, Guangdong. Pictured is CATL's "Chocolate Battery Replacement Block". IC Photo

At present, China has proposed "extraordinary layout of urgently needed disciplines and majors" and has implemented the national strategic action of cultivating top talents in basic disciplines. The report cited data from the Ministry of Education, saying that most undergraduates in China major in mathematics, science, engineering or agriculture, and three-quarters of Chinese doctoral students do the same. In contrast, only one-fifth of American undergraduates and half of doctoral students belong to such majors, although the US data defines these majors more narrowly.

On June 24, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also caused great controversy with his remarks. "I hope to see more Chinese students come to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics." He claimed that the United States should welcome more students from China, but they should come to study humanities instead of science, while Indian students should come to the United States to study science. He also claimed that due to so-called "security considerations", American universities are restricting Chinese students from accessing sensitive technologies.

The New York Times said that China's growing expertise in manufacturing has sparked a heated debate in other countries, especially the United States, over whether Chinese companies should be invited to build factories in the United States or try to replicate China's achievements.

Manufacturing accounts for 28% of China's economy and 11% of the U.S. economy. Liu Qiao, dean of Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, said China believes that investment in scientific education and research will translate into efficiency gains, helping to boost the overall economy. "If you have a large manufacturing industry, it's easy to improve production efficiency."

Yet China’s manufacturing prowess has become a geopolitical issue. In the United States, political and commercial pressures have discouraged joint ventures with Chinese battery makers, and the U.S. is using tariffs to exclude Chinese electric vehicles from its market. Meanwhile, the European Union has imposed temporary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in a blatant act of protectionism.

The report concluded that the United States still leads China in overall research spending, both in terms of the amount of spending and as a percentage of the economies of both countries. After several years of growth, the share of research and development in the U.S. economy reached 3.4% last year. However, China's share is 2.6% and is still rising.

“What happens if China surpasses the U.S. in research and development and has a manufacturing base?” asked Craig Allen, president of the U.S.-China Business Council.

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