China's IP strategy to target economic growth, scientific frontiers

 China's intellectual property (IP) work will focus on economic development and cutting-edge science over the next five years, with a stronger emphasis on turning high-quality IP growth into economic and social progress, the country's top IP regulator said Tuesday.

The country's 15th five-year plan for IP will align with the broader national development blueprint, placing its focus on "the front lines of economic construction and the very frontier of scientific discovery," said Liang Xinxin, director general of the strategic planning department of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).

Liang made the remarks at the ongoing 15th China Intellectual Property Annual Conference in Beijing on Tuesday. Highlighting the high-quality IP development, the two-day annual gathering has drawn thousands of policymakers, entrepreneurs and scholars worldwide.

Carsten Fink, chief economist of the World Intellectual Property Organization, said China's IP growth can be attributed to sustained investment in science, technology and innovation. "It has built research capabilities, developed human capital and infrastructure, and strengthened the institutions that allow new knowledge to become new products and technologies," Fink said in a keynote speech.

He cited the example of renewable energy, noting that Chinese innovations have helped make solar energy, batteries and electric vehicles more affordable and more widely available around the world.

"Looking ahead, there is every reason to expect China's innovation and IP system to remain dynamic," he said.

According to the latest data released by CNIPA, China's valid domestic invention patents have reached 5.39 million and domestic registered trademarks stand at 50.82 million. ■