However, information technology papers published in scientific journals by Chinese researchers were far less likely to be referenced by other scientists than those that were published by researchers in the U.S., a sign that they are less influential and may be of lower quality.

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The Industrial Revolution happened in Europe with no scientific knowledge beyond what the Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Persians knew in ancient times.

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But Western medicine doctors in China often look down on colleagues who practice traditional Chinese medicine, scoffing that it lacks scientific grounding, even if its precepts have been accepted by billions of people for thousands of years.

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Slogans such as "the scientific mode of development, " "socialism with Chinese characteristics, " and "harmonious society" often cannot be explained by the average Chinese citizen.

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Not many images can compare with the blast-off of the manned spacecraft for summing up a nation's economic and scientific capabilities, which is why so much is riding on this mission's success and why Chinese will be watching and waiting for the Shenzhou VI to touch down safely on the grasslands of inner Mongolia.

NPR: China Launches Manned Spacecraft