"China is now the world number one in industrial and economic fields, as well as scientific fields." Noted chemist and materials scientist Otemel Ogandov of Russia made such an evaluation in an interview published by the South China Morning Post on July 15th in Hong Kong.
Oganov is a professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Technology in Russia, and also a scientist who has long engaged in scientific research cooperation with China. Last week, he was awarded the China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award along with eight other foreign experts.
Oganov said that this honor made him confident that he was on the right path. He mentioned that as early as 2008, after his visit to China, he told European colleagues and friends that China was “moving towards” being at the forefront in both industry and science. However, at that time, this judgment wasn’t widely recognized.
He said that after 18 years, China has already ranked first in the world in the fields of industry, economy, and science.
Oganov pointed out that the United States has long held a dominant position in global science, but now China is striving to catch up. He mentioned that China currently contributes about one-third of the world's scientific paper publications, and its advantage lies not only in quantity but also in the quality of scientific research.
Otto M. Oganov China's Ministry of Science and Technology
According to the 2026 Natural Index, China ranks first in global scientific research output, followed by the United States at second place. In the ranking of global scientific institutions, four Chinese institutions are among the top five. The Chinese Academy of Sciences ranks first, while Harvard University in the United States comes in third place.
"I know China will reach its peak, but I never expected it to rise so rapidly and with such strength." Oganov said.
Oganov believes that China has achieved its current development milestones not by implementing policies that 'humiliate and destroy other countries, like the 'Make America Great Again' policy', but by building itself to achieve prosperity.
He stated that the world is currently in a "very dramatic era," and some Western politicians are "destroying bridges."
"The future belongs to those who build bridges, not those who destroy them. The most natural bridge between different cultures and countries is science," he said.
Oganov said that receiving the "highest honor" in his scientific career made him even more convinced that he had chosen the right direction. His cooperation with China is still far from over.
"I come to China every year, at least staying here for a month. We have new plans, new goals, and cooperation is continuing to develop on an interesting upward trajectory." He said.
