Ahead of the 2026 World Intellectual Property Day, senior Chinese regulatory officials outlined major progress in the nation’s intellectual property (IP) development and announced new targeted measures to strengthen IP safeguards for fast-growing emerging technology fields during a press conference held Thursday.
Rui Wenbiao, deputy director of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), reported that China saw continuous improvement in the quality of domestic IP creation and further intensified IP protection across all sectors in 2025. Last year alone, China granted 972,000 invention patents, pushing the total number of active domestic invention patents past the 5 million mark — a milestone that makes China the first country in the world to reach this figure.
Along with this overall growth, China has secured a large number of core patents in high-potential emerging sectors, including quantum technology, biomanufacturing, brain-computer interfaces, and 6G communications. Additional IP data for 2025 also shows the nation registered more than 4.2 million new trademarks, 10.67 million new copyrights, 6,986 new plant variety rights, and recognized 104 new geographical indication products, Rui added.
On the global innovation stage, China achieved a landmark ranking jump in 2025: the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index placed China 10th globally, marking the first time the country has entered the top 10 of the index. It also now hosts 24 of the world’s 100 leading science and technology innovation clusters, with the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster holding the number one spot worldwide.
“With their vibrant innovative activity, high technical density, and enormous market potential, emerging fields have become new core drivers and engines powering China’s high-quality economic and social development,” Rui said. In response to this rapid growth, CNIPA has already ramped up IP protection efforts for these sectors, and has placed increased focus on addressing ethical concerns tied to artificial intelligence applications. Moving forward, Rui noted that CNIPA will work alongside other relevant government bodies to refine national IP legal frameworks, to better adapt to the unique needs of these growing sectors and resolve emerging regulatory challenges.
Wang Huowang, head of the Law Enforcement and Inspection Bureau at the State Administration for Market Regulation, added that targeted IP enforcement campaigns in emerging sectors and the e-commerce industry will be a top priority for Chinese regulators in 2026. “We will strengthen proactive enforcement and forward-looking IP protection for new fields and emerging business models, including next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, new energy, and green environmental protection,” Wang explained. Regulators will also intensify crackdowns on common illegal IP activities, such as malicious trademark squatting and trademark infringement, to create a more secure regulatory environment that supports the healthy development of emerging industries.
Wang Zhicheng, head of the Copyright Administration of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized that copyright has grown into a critical strategic resource for China’s innovation-driven development. In recent years, law enforcement teams have expanded anti-piracy campaigns targeting key sectors including film, cultural products, and youth publications, actions designed to support healthy industry growth and protect the welfare of China’s younger population. This year, anti-piracy enforcement will focus specifically on audiovisual works, online literature, and digital content distribution, with advanced digital technologies being deployed to boost the efficiency of enforcement operations, Wang added.