If China can host summer Olympic Games successfully, China can do anything!
First, we need to work with the system. Get the government involved by securing funding for one or two journals in each field that either have already been accepted as the “top” journals in China or with great potentials to be at the top soon. This is more like setting up those “State Key Researcher Labs.” As far as I know, professional journals are professional societies’ responsibility in many countries; at least that is true for geophysics in U.S. and Japan. However, China has its unique “modernized socialism.” Why shouldn’t journals take advance of such a system?
Second, we need great managing editors like WANG Y.K. (I am not sure I should use his full name). There are probably many editors like him in China, but I came to the net a few weeks ago and have only “discovered” him. From him, I see HOPE for journals in China.
Third, we should offer English writing classes in college. If we don’t have enough instructors who can teach such a course at college, we can form a committee to put out an online course for instructors to learn first and to teach students afterwards. Chinese language is a great language, in particular when it’s used to attack each other on the net as we have seen since Oct. 1st, 2009. However, it is not practical for a world-class journal on science unless it is accompanied by an English copy (as in the case of Chinese Science Bulletin; correct me if I am wrong on this).
These are my quick thoughts, like “throwing in a brick to attract jade” for sure.