From institution building to decision intelligence enhancement: Achievements and prospects of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics

Authors

• Yongnian ZHENG, Institute of Public Policy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; The Institute for International Affairs, Qianhai, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518172, ChinaFollow
• Jincheng LIU, Institute of Public Policy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, ChinaFollow

Keywords

new think tanks with Chinese characteristics, decision intelligence enhancement, autonomous Chinese knowledge system, artificial intelligence, quality-oriented new think tanks

Abstract

Since the issuance of the “Opinions on Strengthening the Building of New-type Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics” in 2015, the development of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics has gone through a full decade. This period marks not only a critical transition from simply establishing think tanks to improving their quality, but also an important starting point for China’s transformation from a major producer of knowledge into a strong producer of ideas. Over the past decade, China’s think tank development has achieved staged progress: from initial institution building to systematic formation, from ex post commentary to whole-process policy engagement, from single-source supply to multi-source support, and from passive response to proactive agenda-setting. As a result, the national think tank system has gradually taken shape. At the same time, however, structural problems remain prominent. The long-term dependency of knowledge systems, the short-term orientation of evaluation mechanisms, and the misalignment between organizational structures and talent composition have resulted in a persistent imbalance characterized by many think tanks but limited intellectual capacity. To address this problem, it is necessary to further clarify the distinctive functions of think tanks as differentiated from general research institutions, especially, their unique mission to identify and respond to major issues in key national domains, the multi-level policy reference and social influence of their research outputs, and the cultivation of strategic, forward-looking, long-term, and reality-oriented research perspectives among think tank researchers. In the context of the AI era and the development of an autonomous Chinese knowledge system, China’s think tanks need to move beyond institution building to decision intelligence enhancement and accelerate the transition toward quality-oriented new think tanks.

First page

873

Last Page

883

Language

Chinese

Publisher

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

References

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Recommended Citation

ZHENG, Yongnian and LIU, Jincheng (2026) "From institution building to decision intelligence enhancement: Achievements and prospects of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics," Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version): Vol. 41 : Iss. 5 , Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1000-3045.20260110001
Available at: https://bulletinofcas.researchcommons.org/journal/vol41/iss5/4