China's spending on developing nanotechnology over the past five years was more than three times than between 2001 and 2005, a national nanotechnology coordination committee said on January 11 in Beijing.

China invested more than 5 billion yuan ($758 million) on research and development of nanotechnology between 2006 and 2010, compared to 1.5 billion yuan ($227 million) in the previous five-year period, according to the committee.

With the funding, three nanotechnology research centers at the national level were established, including the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology.

Moreover, the number of patent applications concerning nanotechnology in China became the second largest in the world by 2009. Nanotechnology patent numbers increased from 4,600 in 2005 to 12,000 in 2009, said the committee.