Although comprehensive information on Asian scientists is not available, many signs point indirectly to these scientists' growing interest in Western research activity. One such indicator is the dramatic rise in Japanese purchases of English-language books, journals, newspapers, and manuscripts from the U.S.: These sales, having quadrupled from $60 million in 1986 to $240 million in 1990, put Japan right behind the United Kingdom, which spent $300 million in 1990, as a consumer of U.S. scientific literature.
Sales of U.S. publications to other Asian countries doubled in the same period, with seven nations (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia) spending $131 million on U.S. books and journals. The reason that these U.S. exports are skyrocketing is clear: Asian nations are becoming keen on deepening their scientific endeavors--and they are willing to put a ton of money into support for these activities. The biggest spender on science and ...
