A new study by a Georgetown University–based think tank reveals that China is rapidly closing the gap with the United States in semiconductor basic research. Between 2018 and 2023, Chinese scholars published 2.3 times as many chip-related papers as their American counterparts—an academic output advantage that could reshape the global power landscape of the technology industry.
According to a report released this week by Emerging Technology Observatory (ETO), Chinese research institutions collectively published 160,852 semiconductor papers over the past five years—exceeding the combined total of the United States (71,688 papers), India, and Japan. Despite still lacking access to cutting-edge equipment such as ASML’s extreme ultraviolet lithography systems, China’s breakthroughs in basic research have drawn considerable attention.
The report shows that among the world’s top ten most prolific institutions in chip research, nine hail from China. The Chinese Academy of Sciences leads by a wide margin—not only topping the list in total papers but also ranking first globally in citations received. In terms of high-impact papers, Chinese institutions contributed 23,520 frequently cited key studies, accounting for 49% of the total, compared with 22% from American scholars and 17% from their European counterparts.
“These numbers reflect that China is systematically building its technological knowledge base,” ETO researchers stressed in the report. Notably, all 475,000 global semiconductor papers analyzed include English abstracts, indicating that Chinese academic outputs are rapidly integrating into the international research community.
This emergence of academic strength comes at a critical juncture as China pushes for self-reliance in its semiconductor industry. In response to U.S. export controls, China has ramped up R&D investment, continuously improving its chip self-sufficiency. An independent report released on the same day by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) noted that Chinese tech companies have made strides in areas such as AI chips, with breakthroughs from companies like DeepSeek corroborating this trend.
“The advantage in paper output could translate into greater industry clout,” CSIS analysts opined, noting that China is building capabilities across the entire value chain—from chip design to data centers. However, the report also pointed out that the commercialization of academic achievements still requires time to prove effective, particularly in high-end chip manufacturing, where China continues to face significant technological hurdles.