News Analysis: From volume to value: China's IP targets quality, new tech and economic payoff

BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- At the top spot in global patent filings, China in early 2026 did not release much annual data on the quantity and growth rate of intellectual property (IP) compared to previous years. Instead, the country's top IP authority emphasized quality, frontier technologies, and economic payoff as key priorities during a recent press briefing reviewing last year's performance.

QUALITY-FOCUSED

It said that China held 2.29 million high-value invention patents at the end of 2025, with a growing share of invention patents that possess higher technological sophistication, greater market value and stronger IP rights protection.

Another headline number is the "average ownership of high-value invention patents," which had risen to 16 patents per 10,000 people, exceeding the target of 12 set five years ago.

Noting that this serves as an important indicator for measuring innovation output, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) said the "average ownership" metric is designed to steer innovation efforts from pursuing quantity to focusing on quality.

"Patent quality is a crucial indicator of innovation capability," said deputy head of the CNIPA Rui Wenbiao, citing several systemic reforms the country has implemented to support this quality-over-quantity goal, including ending cash subsidies for patent applications, implementing pre-filing assessments at research institutions, and tightening examination standards.

China has shifted its IP strategy from pursuing patent quantity to prioritizing quality in recent years. This transition, aligning with the country's broader commitment to high-quality development, has gained international recognition. China climbed to the 10th place in the World Intellectual Property Organization's 2025 Global Innovation Index, marking one of the fastest climbs in the ranking's history.

FUTURE TECH-FACING

"High-quality IP, particularly high-value invention patents, has emerged as a crucial indicator for assessing the iteration of AI technology," argued Cui Lingling, general manager of Baidu's patent affairs department.

Her view echoes the feature that China's high-value patents are concentrated in future-facing industries. According to the CNIPA, the country holds key patents in AI, quantum technology, brain-computer interfaces and 6G communications.

"AI" is a high-frequency word at the press conference. The CNIPA said that China is among the global leaders in terms of valid AI patents. It offers new AI examination guidelines and patent search services and seeks to expand "AI+IP" scenarios for innovators.

The fast-growing industry is a prime example of how China is integrating IP with cutting-edge technology, said Wang Qi, an IP law scholar at Beijing Technology and Business University.

On the one hand, the country rolls out new rules to guide and support sound growth of AI patents, Wang said, citing China's new patent examination guidelines setting clearer standards and ethical rules for AI patents.

On the other hand, AI models are boosting the country's IP system, enhancing efficiency from patent examination to application drafting.

"This two-way empowerment strengthens both scientific innovation and IP protection, offering support to the development of digital economy," Wang noted.

VALUE-DRIVEN

The digital economy has been a key part of China's patent-intensive industries, helping make greater contributions to growth.

"The economic benefits of IP are gaining momentum," Rui said when summarizing China's IP progress.

According to the latest data, in 2024, the value-added output of China's patent-intensive industries reached 18 trillion yuan (about 2.6 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for 13.38 percent of GDP.

Beyond driving economic growth, these industries have also boosted employment, supporting 52.67 million jobs, an increase of 1.9 million from the previous year.

"IP rights have evolved from a simple legal protection tool into a strategic driver of high-quality, resilient, and sustainable economic growth," said Ma Yide, a professor at the School of IP under the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

As the main driving force for innovation, enterprises feel most directly the economic returns that come from prioritizing IP. They hold over three-quarters of China's high-value patents, and a slew of private enterprises, such as Huawei, BYD and Tencent, potent in hardcore technology and loaded with solid patents, are turning innovative research into tangible economic impact.

"In the context of globalization, patents protect our innovation, defend our market edge and turn technology into value," said Chen Yimin, vice president of automaker Geely. And the view has become a consensus within China's business community. ■