A surge in academic fraud allegations published in the journal Nature and its subsidiaries is raising concerns about the journal's long-held prestige in China. Previously a mark of top achievement, it may now be a liability.

For decades, publishing a paper in Nature was regarded as the ultimate academic achievement in China – a fast track to promotions, research grants, hospital appointments and elite national talent programmes. But a growing wave of academic fraud allegations could be turning that prestige into a liability. Over the past two months, Chinese social media platforms have been flooded with accusations targeting papers published in Nature and its subsidiaries, including Nature Cancer, Nature Cell...