Editing Science and technology in China (section)

== Gross domestic expenditure on research and development ==
In its ''Medium and Long-Term Plan for the Development of Science and Technology'' (2006–2020), China fixed itself the target of devoting 2.5% of GDP to research and development by 2020. Between 2003 and 2012, gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) rose from 1.13% to 1.98% of GDP, suggesting that the country was on track to meet its target.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002354/235406e.pdf|title=China. In: UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030|first=Cong|last=Cao|publisher=UNESCO|year=2015|isbn=978-92-3-100129-1|location=Paris}}</ref>

The research firm [[Battelle Memorial Institute|Battelle]] estimates that China's GERD will exceed that of the United States by 2023.<ref name="Battelle2012">{{cite web|url=http://www.battelle.org/ABOUTUS/rd/2012.pdf|title=Media - In the News - Battelle|work=battelle.org}}</ref> However, several convergent factors cast doubt over the accuracy of Battelle's prediction: the deceleration in China's rate of economic growth in 2014, the considerable drop in industrial production since 2012 and the major stock market slide in mid-2015. After progressing rapidly for a decade, GERD stabilized at 2.07% of GDP in 2015.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/science-technology/single-view-sc-policy/news/brain_research_has_become_a_policy_focus_for_china/|title=Brain research has become a policy focus for China|last1=Cao|first1=Cong|date=30 April 2018|website=Blogpost on UNESCO Science Report portal}}</ref>

China devoted 5.1% of total research spending to basic research in 2015, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. This is up from 4.8%, on average, over the past decade, but less than in 2004 (6.0%). The prolonged policy focus on experimental development has resulted in enterprises contributing three-quarters of Chinese research spending (77% of total expenditure on R&D in 2015). Enterprises focus on experimental development, which accounted for as much as 97% of their total research expenditure by 2015.<ref name=":2" /> Business enterprises contributed 60% of GERD in 2000 and 74% in 2008. In 2004, 74% of GERD went on experimental development.<ref name="UNESCO2010">{{cite web |url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001899/189958e.pdf |title=Data|website=unesdoc.unesco.org}}</ref>  China aims to increase the share of basic research to 15% of total research spending by 2020.<ref name="Battelle2011" /><ref name=":4" />