Companies invested 167.38 billion yuan, government-run research institutions spent 51.31 billion yuan, and universities laid out 24.23 billion yuan, the bureau, in conjunction with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance, said in a statement.

Total spending on R&D was 1.34 percent of China's gross domestic product, the statement said. In comparison, the ratio of R&D expenditures to GDP in the United States was 2.68 percent in 2004.

The ratio is an indicator that demonstrates a nation's scientific development scale and partly reflects its potential for economic growth.

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