China’s investment in R&D is expected to have reached 1.54 trillion yuan (around 223 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016, accounting for 2.1 percent of GDP, according to Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang. R&D expenditure increased by 9 percent from 2015, with over 78 percent of the spending coming from enterprises, mainly for technology transfer. Wan announced plans of future key projects involving quantum communication and computers, brain science and brain-like research, deep sea stations, and space-ground integrated technology. More projects, including ones on deep earth exploration and artificial intelligence, were said to be in the pipeline.
CAS news release, January 11, 2017