The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) plans to stop covering article-processing charges (APCs) for its researchers publishing in dozens of high-cost international open access journals, according to a report in Science.
The policy, which has not yet been formally announced, is expected to take effect on 1 March. CAS, the world’s largest research institution, employs more than 50,000 researchers across approximately 100 institutes. Observers cited by Science suggest the move is likely aimed at controlling spiralling publishing costs and potentially strengthening domestic Chinese journals.
According to the report, high-profile open access titles facing funding restrictions include Nature Communications, Cell Reports, and Science Advances. All are reported to charge APCs of at least $5,000 per paper. By comparison, the global average APC is around $2,000.
Internal messages shared with Science by affected researchers, who requested anonymity, indicate that the draft policy would prohibit CAS scientists from using academy funds to pay APCs for more than 30 journals exceeding a defined cost threshold.
As reported by Research Information, the Chinese Academy of Sciences produced the greatest number of Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers in 2025.