China launches global academic journal evaluation system

China released the Global Top Journals List across All Disciplines on Saturday, marking the first time Chinese scientists have independently established and published a global academic journal evaluation system from a Chinese perspective.

The launch ceremony was held in the tech hub Shenzhen of Guangdong Province in south China.

Quality journal evaluation standards are seen as a guiding framework for scientific research.

Traditionally, journal rankings have relied on large-scale expert surveys.

However, Chinese scientists have pioneered a multidimensional evaluation system with new models and methods.

The newly released list includes 129 top-tier journals across all disciplines, based on this innovative system.

"We collected approximately 100 million pieces of metadata from journal papers, which formed the basis of our subsequent journal evaluations. In 2025, we plan to release additional journals list in sub-disciplines such as physics, chemistry and materials science," said Wu Dengsheng, distinguished professor at Shenzhen University and founder of Dongbi Technology.

Alongside the list, an analysis report on global sci-tech papers was also released.

The report reveals significant disparities in the production of high-quality sci-tech papers.

China excels in physics, chemistry, and geoscience and environmental science, while the United States leads in medical and life sciences.

Other countries also show strong performance in their respective fields of expertise.

"This evaluation system actually represents a matter of international academic discourse power. It will allow scientists and academic peers worldwide to better understand and accept Chinese academic journals. It is a fundamental support for a country's scientific and technological development," said Li Gang, deputy director of the Academic Committee of Wuhan University and director of the Wuhan Institute of Data Intelligence.

China launches global academic journal evaluation system

China's commodity price index stood at 129.9 points in March, up 4 percent month on month and 14.5 percent year on year, according to data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Sunday.

Among the 50 major commodities under key monitoring by the CFLP, 38 recorded a month-on-month price increase in March.

Specifically, diesel, methanol and ethylene glycol led the gains, rising 30.5 percent, 30.4 percent and 29.3 percent, respectively, from the previous month.

Affected by imported factors such as tensions in the Middle East and a sharp rise in international crude oil prices, China's energy and chemical price indices rose significantly, up 16.5 percent and 21.8 percent month on month, respectively.

Driven by rising international fertilizer prices and growing demand for biofuels, China's agricultural product price index increased by 2.8 percent month on month.

Analysts noted that the sharp rise in the commodity price index in March comes from factors such as the recovery of the domestic commodity market, the good outcomes of policies, and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Given the increasingly volatile international commodity prices and the rising uncertainties in importing energy, chemicals and other commodities, it is necessary to diversify the sources of raw materials, expand the use of alternative resources, and enhance the ability to resist and respond to risky factors that may cause fluctuation in markets, said the analysts.

China's commodity price index up 4 pct in March