"Only 9% of American 15 year olds are scientifically “literate” compared to 32% of Chinese students of the same age. This has economic and national security implications worthy of attention."

... Especially when you consider that China's population is four times that of the US. So, if the numbers refer to the percentage of the respective nations' populations then China has twelve times more junior scientists than the US, not the 3-1/2 times you get by comparing percentages only.