A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Monday denied recent claims that the Chinese government's research funding system obstructs the country's pace of innovation.

In an article published in Science magazine in September, Shi Yigong and Rao Yi, professors at Tsinghua University and Peking University, respectively, said "rampant problems" in government research funding impede Chinese innovation, even as government funding of research has grown 20 percent annually in recent years.

Calling the claims untrue, the unnamed MOST spokesperson said Chinese government research funds, especially those for key research projects, have over the years solved several major scientific problems and contributed greatly to the nation's social and economic development.

Shi Yigong and Rao Yi have both led government-funded research projects.

The spokesperson said the ministry has "zero tolerance" for misconduct in scientific research.