[a_bonobo]

Talking with some Chinese colleagues in the past, they were talking about having a 'base' salary which was not enough to have a family on. For every published paper they'd get a one-time payment. So you'd have to get a bunch of papers out every year just to survive; no wonder people start to invent papers.

Of course the same thing is happening in the 'Western' world too, with a publication ratchet going on. New hire has 50 papers out? OK! The next pool of potential hires has 50, 55, 52 papers out, so obviously you take the 55 papers-person. You want outstanding people! Then the next hire needs 60 papers. And so on.

[nativeit]

...an effect known as "wonkflation".