Will the cure for autism be discovered in China? A decade ago this would have been a preposterous question. But today people such as Wang Jian, a genetic researcher with a liking for cargo pants, believe the answer could be yes.
Mr Wang is a co-founder of BGI, the world’s biggest genetic sequencing company. Originally the Beijing Genomics Institute, the company accounts for 50 per cent of global genetic sequencing capacity and has already mapped out genomes for cancer cells, plants, insects, humans and even the giant panda. Its researchers have also gained an international reputation by pumping out hundreds of peer-reviewed articles a year.
BGI is emblematic of a wider trend among Chinese companies: a shift to compete through innovation and counter China’s reputation as a copycat manufacturer of cheap products.