Science ministry rolls out crackdown regulation effective March 2026 The Ministry of Science and Technology announced a regulatory amendment that will take effect in March, targeting universities and research institutes that fail to handle integrity cases properly [3].
Institutions must audit retracted papers and publish results within tight timelines When a paper is withdrawn for misconduct, the institution has 15 working days to decide on a case and must complete the investigation within six months, extendable by another six months for complex matters; findings are to be made public [3].
2024 “penalty register” links misconduct to China’s social‑credit system A national database created in 2024 records individuals punished for serious scientific fraud, tying entries to the broader social‑credit scheme, which can restrict loans, travel and eligibility for leadership positions [1].
Researchers face at least three‑year bans; institutions face two‑year funding bans Individuals found guilty of misconduct are barred for a minimum of three years from receiving research grants, joining projects or acting as reviewers, while offending institutions lose access to state research funds for at least two years [1].
China publishes ~25 % of global papers yet accounts for 40 % of 2025 retractions Despite contributing a quarter of worldwide research output, Chinese authors were responsible for 40 % of all article retractions in 2025, underscoring a disproportionate integrity problem [6][7].
Studies flag high rates of fabricated cancer papers and norm breaches in hospitals A recent analysis identified 36 % of Chinese cancer research articles as potentially fake, the highest globally, and a 2024 survey found over half of doctors at 17 Chinese hospitals admitted to at least one scientific‑norm violation [8][9].