China aims to establish 1,000 globally influential scientific journals by 2035

BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) unveiled a plan to develop about 1,000 world-class scientific journals by 2035, as outlined in the CAST 2035 action plan approved during the ninth meeting of its 10th National Committee on Tuesday.

Scientific journals are seen as a direct indicator of a nation's scientific competitiveness and cultural influence. Cultivating top-tier journals is a key pillar for becoming a global science and technology leader.

In 2019, CAST and six other departments launched an action plan for developing excellent scientific journals. To date, the action plan has elevated nearly 300 Chinese journals into the global elite. The number of journals ranked in the top 5 and 25 percent of their fields worldwide has surged sixfold and twofold, respectively, compared to 2018.

The second phase of the action plan is now in full swing, supporting 450 journals and 13 journal clusters. This phase shifts focus from individual journal breakthroughs to fostering a sustainable ecosystem, integrating cluster development and platform construction to drive long-term growth.

Over the next decade, CAST will expand the action plan to cover mid-tier journals, scale up cluster pilot projects, develop an independent evaluation system, attract more international submissions, and promote open science. These measures aim to steadily enhance the global reach of China's scientific journals. ■