|According to the Nature Index database of research articles in a selected group of scientific journals, China has increased its chemistry research output by almost 350% since 2015. Its contribution as of 2025 is higher than the top 50 other countries combined. (Nature Index | 4 min read)
A country-level breakdown of chemistry output in the Nature Index illustrates just how dominant China is in the subject. In 2025, China was responsible for 53% of total chemistry Share in the Index. The United States, ranked second in the subject, accounted for 15%.
I think a lot of common folk vastly underestimate how advanced China has become over the years, and that rate is increasing as they continue to pour resources into science/technology. If you showed someone that has never travelled what one of the top Chinese cities looks like, they likely wouldn’t believe that was China.
China is projected to surpass the US in total GDP by the late 2030’s. People really don’t grasp what that means with regards to the global dominance the US has established over the past decades. I think you’re seeing a little of this play out already with the Iran situation.
The Gorilla Game economics saved China’s economy from Communism. Now the USA has a worthy competitor with smart and hardworking people but the hardworking part seems to be on the vane.
GoogleAI:
It looks like you might have misspelled an idiom! If you meant “on the wane” , it means something is decreasing in size, strength, or power (like a trend or a person’s popularity). If you meant “in vain” , it refers to an action that was futile or produced no result.
Thanks Googie!
The Captain
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Googie has a style problem, “on the wane” , and “in vain” , should have the commas inside the quotes: “on the wane,” and “in vain,”
China has become a leader in production of petrochemicals. That usually encourages more chemical research. In the U.S. the business seems to be maturing. Stocks still tied to new car sales and new home starts. Growing population, recovering manufacturing, and housing shortages should help. The glory days of petrochemicals seem to be over in the U.S.
In the 50s chemical companies bragged about the percentage of sales put into research. Research was believed to result in growth. That changed in the 70s with the arrival of environmental laws. “What have you done for me lately.”
Now future opportunity is focused on biological chemistry. The U.S. is doing well at it but govt cuts to research funding will slow down training and research opportunities. Low labor cost in China gives it a major advantage. Hard working population is also an advantage. Strong emphasis on education.
The U.S. has leading positions in many segments but maintaining those positions will be a challenge. China is a strong competitor.
