The scientific technological research bodies in China are composed of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, scientific research organizations functioning under departments of the State Council and the local administration, research organizations operating under institutions of higher learning, research organizations run by industrial enterprises, and national defense research organizations. Additionally, there are over 160 national scientific and technological academic organizations under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Science and Technology Association and their branches in large and medium-sized cities.

With its headquarters in Beijing, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the supreme academic organ and comprehensive research center in the natural sciences. It has academic departments including mathematics and Physics, chemistry, earth sciences, biology, technology, and agricultural research. It has 123 research institutes, employing over 50,000 technical and scientific personnel. Research organs attached to the Chinese Academy of Sciences are located throughout the country, and branch academies have been established in provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities where research organs are concentrated. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has selected its 527 member Academic Council from among high-level scientists, professors and engineers who have made significant contributions in their fields (14 of which are foreigners). The Academic Council Members' General Meeting is the supreme state consultative organ on science and technology. The Chinese Academy of Engineering, rounded in June 1994, is the most respected, highest advisory academic institution in China's engineering community. It currently has 96 council members.