Abstract:    Since the concept of Science and Technology (S&T) security was put forward in 1998, some research has been conducted by scholars in terms of its understanding, strategies, and evaluation. As a result, research findings not only have an influence on the academia, but serve as a driving force for the S&T security practices conducted by China′s government. In 2014, the S&T security was listed into the Holistic View of National Security. And in 2015, it was written into the newly-amended National Security Law of People′s Republic of China.
    Dynamicity is a vital feature of S&T security. Compared to the past, the environments, both domestic and international, that Chinese S&T security faces now have dramatically changed. Therefore, studies and practices related to S&T security should be adjusted accordingly. Internationally, intensified change in Sino-U.S. relationship has already exerted some influence on science and technology. Tech war between China and the U.S. has now become a topic for academia, renowned U.S. think-tank and media (including Reuters, Time, The Wall Street Journal etc.).  Science and technology will be a crucial factor in the game between China and the United States and the international relationships. In April, 2020, Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology has pointed out in his signed article in People′s Daily that the enhancement of independent innovation and of S&T security has been the major mission of technology work in the new era to provide strong technological support for maintaining and shaping the nation′s security.
    However, there are only more than 100 papers concerning S&T security. So this is pretty difficult to effectively support the practice of the nation′s major missions in the new era in terms of quantity rather than quality. In addition, S&T security seems to be the exclusive research field in China, and there is hardly any experience in other countries to refer to.  Therefore, the lack of understanding and the scarcity of reference make S&T security a "no-man area". To take the responsibility of this era of strengthening S&T security, the "compass" that guides us to pass the "no-man area" should be found in the first place. Besides, it is of necessity to summarize and tease out relevant research findings, to understand thoroughly the status quo and existing problems of studies and practices, and to predict the crucial problems in the future development. In this regard, no research that systematically summarizes relevant findings has ever been conducted except for the investigation by Sun Zhixin et al. that looks back on the history of China′s S&T security issues.
   Based on the meticulous analysis of all papers concerning S&T security and the knowledge and information the author has, this paper summarizes the overall situation, findings, status quo and existing problems of Chinese S&T security research, and predicts crucial problems that need to be solved in the follow-up studies and practices. Therefore, the picture of China′s S&T security research has been presented to the decision-makers, researchers, and readers who care about China′s science and technology. The main findings in this paper are:
     The overall situation of China′s S&T security research. China′s S&T security research dates back to 1998. Until May 9th, 2020, there are 142 relevant papers in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (known as CNKI), with 7 papers annually published in average. Therefore, a feature of low-popularity, slow-growth, and fluctuated-development is presented. The fluctuation of the amount published papers concerning S&T security is in connection with social demands and popular events, reflecting the demand-oriented feature of research itself. Besides, the emphasis on S&T security research is still neither enough nor stable. The research topics have formed 4 core groups including S&T security, national security, national S&T security, and S&T security strategies, covering the entire processes of general activities from recognition, to practices, and finally to the evaluation of practice results and adjustments.
    Specific research findings are as follows: (1) In terms of cognition, S&T security, mainly featured by systematicity, dynamicity, and complexity, has 3 types of definitions: capability, status, and situation, covering matters including purposes, main part, foundations etc., and safeguarding contents concerning S&T security such as talents, system, biology, information and so on. Challenges that China is facing now in S&T security are mainly divided into two aspects: international challenges and domestic challenges. The international challenges mainly refer to the technological edges in other countries, the targeted S&T competition strategies formulated based on them and the corresponding measures, while the domestic ones refer to problems including awareness, systems and mechanism, laws and regulations, policies, funds, talents training etc. Specifically, the challenges are, in terms of fields, about information and biology, and, in terms of technologies, about key core technologies, game-changing technologies, and technologies mainly mastered by other countries other than China. (2) There are 2 aspects of the solution to safeguarding the national S&T security - the principle and the specific solution. The latter is in close relation with the cognitional results. (3) There is still no official definition of S&T security evaluation, and there is no system formed to connect the research objects, scale, and methods. Therefore, the dependability, practicability, and applicability of the achievements have not yet been verified. (4) The research method of S&T security centers on learning from the mature theories or qualitative methods in other fields.
   The status quo and the existing problems in China′s S&T security research are as follows. (1) In China′s S&T security research, further improvements should be made in the abundance of achievements, the perfection of theories, practices, and the construction of academic ecology. (2) Without the guidance of top-level policies, professional management organizations and management mechanism, supporting law system and continuous investment in both human and funds, the system of China′s S&T security is still imperfect.
    There are also some key issues that need to be addressed in China′s S&T security research and practices. (1) The significance of S&T security research and practices. (2) The establishment and practices of S&T security system. (3) The establishment of S&T security research. (4) The development of S&T security education and the popularization of relevant knowledge.

Key words: science and technology security, science and technology security research, science and technology security practice