China’s tremendous ascent within the global system of science over the last two decades is unprecedented and provoking. The country has become the world’s largest producer of scientific articles and is a fast climber in global university rankings. What are the implications of these developments, for the Chinese science system and with regard to structures and practices of international academic cooperation? This talk, recorded at 2020's Berlin Science Week as part of the Max Planck lecture series, maps the most significant recent developments.