The gap between China's chemical products and the world's advanced level

The gap between Chinese chemical products and the world's advanced level is mainly reflected in aspects such as technological level, industrial scale and production capacity, RD investment and innovation, enterprise management and culture, as well as environmental protection and sustainable development. ‌
Technological gap
In terms of catalysts, reactors, chemical processes, and self-control systems, China's chemical industry lags behind foreign countries. In terms of fine chemicals, China mostly uses foreign formulas, and European, American, Japanese, and Korean companies are far ahead in this field. New large-scale integrated refining and chemical process packages are often provided by international veteran chemical giants, and technology and patents also need to be purchased from them. Although China has its own process packages, many of them are not mature enough and lack practical opportunities and real production data support.
Industry scale and production capacity
The Chinese chemical industry has a large scale and high production capacity, which is a major advantage of the domestic chemical industry. China is vigorously developing in the field of heavy chemical industry, often adopting the integrated refining and chemical model. Ethylene projects are particularly prominent, and a pattern of park based and industrial integration has been formed, while accelerating the elimination of small chemical enterprises. The overall development path is clearly to win by quantity, prioritizing trade, followed by industrial scale, and technology at the end.
Research and Development Investment and Innovation
Although some domestic enterprises attach great importance to technical talents and RD investment, the number of such enterprises is not large. Domestic chemical enterprises have relatively weak innovation capabilities and lack breakthrough technological innovations and research and development achievements. Domestic chemical research and development is a clear weakness, as most fine chemicals use foreign formulas, and technology and patents also need to be purchased from international established chemical giants.
Enterprise Management and Culture
The management of domestic chemical enterprises is relatively rigid, with problems such as the prevalence of banquet culture and serious internal friction. Due to issues with corporate culture and salary benefits, there is a phenomenon of talent loss in domestic chemical companies, with many talents flowing to foreign-funded enterprises or transitioning away from the chemical industry.
Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development
With the increasing global emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable development, Chinese chemical enterprises are also facing greater environmental pressure. Although some enterprises have begun to explore green transformation and sustainable development, overall there is still a need for further strengthening.