This paper examines how China’s growing research capabilities impact global research universities across scientific fields. Using bibliometric data from 1980 to 2020, we assess the effects of the “China shock” on high-impact publications, novel concepts, and citation patterns. Our analysis reveals a positive net effect in Chemistry and Engineering & Materials Science (EMS), but a negative effect in Clinical & Life Sciences (CLS). In other fields, the effects are mostly positive but imprecise. We highlight the coexistence of competition and spillover effects, with their relative strength shaped by field characteristics, such as expansion potential and the quality of China’s research.