International collaboration in science: a Chinese perspective

International collaboration has been crucial for boosting science in China in the past few decades. But the role China plays in major international projects largely depends on research fields and can vary widely. As the country strives to reach new heights in its innovation capacity, there are heated debates over how China can get the most out of international collaboration, what the government's role should be, and whether Chinese researchers should work alone in some cases to build their strength beyond mainstream science. In a forum organized by National Science Review, its executive associate editor Mu-ming Poo discusses these issues with five leading scientists in China.