Science and the nation-state: What China’s experience reveals about the role of policy in science

Abstract China’s rapid rise and spectacular growth in science capacity reopens a discussion about the relationship between science and the nation-state. Literature suggests that science thrives within a democratic system and that scientific activities tend to have a liberalizing effect on governments. Neither of these phenomena appears evident in China’s case. Three policies, present in the earliest days of the growth of modern science, ones in common with other nations, factor into China’s science policy: (1) policies enabling protection of intellectual property, (2) encouraging mobility and skills development, and (3) government procurement of science and technology, especially through military purchases. Using Graham’s interactionist model, I suggest that policies instituted by the state-created conditions for emergence of modern science.