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China surpasses South Korea in tech and science gains, Seoul says as ‘unacceptable and upsetting’ loss to rival spurs introspection

Official findings out of South Korea show how much Beijing’s efforts to advance Chinese tech prowess have paid off in recent years, meaning Seoul has its work cut out as it plays catch-up.

The rankings are evaluated every two years by reviewing academic papers and patents in 11 areas, including construction and transport, space, aviation and oceanic, national defence, mechanical manufacturing, resources, ICT and software. Beijing is leading the development of key technologies by linking government research institutes, academia, large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and even defence-related organisations, and has enormous human resources, Park explained. However, Kim noted that “Korea is at the top in secondary batteries and semiconductors” and could retain its competitive advantage if it focuses its funds and manpower on “areas where it can beat China”.

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