Since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002, China has invested 861 billion yuan ($138 billion) in developing technology, and become the 2nd biggest investment country in the technology sector around the world. China boasts the largest force of manpower in technological research and development. In 2010, China ranked seventh in the science citation index and fourth in the number of patents filed with Patent Cooperation Treaty. A series of technological breakthroughs pulled China to the forefront in some scientific fields, and propped up China's economic development over the past decade.

Astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang smile and wave after exiting the re-entry capsule of Shenzhou-9 manned spaceship which landed safely in Inner Mongolia autonomous region at 10 am on June 29, 2012. In the image below, China's first astronaut Yang Liwei greets people when he steps out of the re-entry capsule of Shenzhou-5 which landed in Inner Mongolia, on Oct 16, 2003.[Photo/Xinhua]