China is in a better position to overtake the United States as the world's No 1 nation for scientific and technological innovation, warned John Holdren, US President Barack Obama's own science adviser, in an article in The Independent on Feb 20.

According to Holdren, the director of the White House office of science and technology policy, the US is facing another "Sputnik moment," a similar technological challenge to the one it faced half a century ago when the USSR launched the world's first satellite.

But this time the rival is China, said Holdren, as China is investing heavily in scientific research and development. In addition to the fact that Chinese schoolchildren are now consistently outperforming US pupils in science and mathematics, China is doing a great job in terms of science and innovation. The Chinese are investing in major university research facilities, such as huge experimental wind tunnels to test advanced passenger trains, said the article.

He believes that it's time to take action or the US will lose its superior position in science, technology and innovation. "If we don't lift our game, China is going to eat our lunch economically because the amount they are investing in science, technology and innovation, while it has not yet reached anything like our level, is rising very quickly."