Key Characteristics of China's National Innovation System: Some Historical Observations

China is a developing country and has made impressive achievements in economic and social development with the support of its national innovation system, so its history and experience should be of interest to the world community. In this article, we examine some of the key characteristics of this national innovation system, including the leading role of the government, the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the unique status of state-owned enterprises, innovation to survive in the era of opening the economy, difficult repositioning of universities and research institutes, continuous learning, etc. We also look at key factors affecting the future evolution of the Chinese national innovation system, including both domestic factors and international factors, such as the China–US relationship.