China received more than 976,000 patent applications last year, up nearly 18 percent year on year, according to the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).

The figure included patent right of invention, utility model and design.

Nearly 90 percent of them were domestic applications, the number of which was up more than 22 percent year on year. The others were foreign applications, down 10.9 percent, according to the SIPO.

Liao Tao, director of the general office of the SIPO, said the number of patent applications in China continued to rise despite the global financial crisis, which was in line with the drive of building a innovation-oriented nation.

Liao said the country ranked the fifth in the world in the application of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), through which applicants could apply for a patent to many countries.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2010)