Beijing witnessed a monumental leap in intellectual property innovation as China marked unprecedented achievements in 2025. Rui Wanpiao, Deputy Director of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, unveiled these stats during a State Council Information Office press conference on January 23.
The country now boasts 2.292 million high-value invention patents, a testament to its surging technological prowess. Sectors like information technology management, computer tech, and medical technology recorded the sharpest growth in valid invention patents. Notably, China’s valid AI patents lead the global charts, underscoring its dominance in cutting-edge fields.
In 2025 alone, China granted 972,000 invention patents and 1.461 million utility model patents. The administration also resolved 96,000 cases of patent reexamination and invalidation, streamlining the IP ecosystem.
Patent transfer and licensing applications soared to 697,000, up 13.7% from 2024. Universities and research institutes filed nearly 90,000 such applications, a 16.6% jump, fueling commercialization. Enterprise invention patents hit a 54% industrialization rate, reflecting steady progress over years.
From January to November 2025, IP royalty imports and exports reached 3.8287 trillion yuan, a 7.4% increase year-over-year. Exports surged 23.1%, boosting China’s service trade exports to new peaks and solidifying its global IP leadership.