中国连续五年领跑全球专利申请，知识产权实力跃升

从文化出海到绿色科技，中国正加速构建全球知识产权合作生态

In recent years, China has positioned itself as a global intellectual property (IP) powerhouse through institutional reforms and deepened international cooperation, setting standards in cultural creativity, biotechnology, robotics, and green technology.

▲ Customers purchase products at a POP MART store in London, Britain. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

For five consecutive years, China has topped the world in international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), reflecting not only robust innovation capacity but also strengthened mechanisms for IP commercialization and enforcement.

The transformation is particularly evident in cultural exports. Works such as Black Myth: Wukong and Ne Zha 2 are reshaping the global reach of Chinese culture across games, films, and literature. The success of characters like Labubu in Western markets stems from both creative appeal and rigorous copyright registration and digital rights management.

In robotics, companies like Unitree Robotics have emerged as global leaders, filing patents in motion control, machine vision, and human-machine interaction. Their quadruped and humanoid robots are gaining international recognition, supported by strategic IP development.

In green technology, China’s patent filings in low-carbon fields surged 2.3 times between 2020 and 2024, driven by the global demand for its "new trio" of exports: electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar products.

China has also expanded its global IP cooperation network, establishing stable ties with over 80 countries and regions by September 2024, and implementing more than 200 bilateral and multilateral IP agreements. From 2020 to 2024, China's annual inflow and outflow of IP royalty payments rose from 319.44 billion RMB to 398.71 billion RMB, growing at an average annual rate of 5.7%.

These advancements are fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem that benefits not only China but also its global partners.