BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's annual National Intellectual Property (IP) Publicity Week kicked off on Monday with a high-level forum focused on sharing its governance experience in protecting innovations in emerging industries like artificial intelligence (AI), as part of broader efforts to contribute to global governance.
As the world's largest filer of patent applications, China is taking a leading role in emerging fields. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China now accounts for over 60 percent of global AI patent applications, the highest share worldwide, and two-thirds of all robotic patent applications.
"Strengthening IP protection in emerging fields is both an urgent need to promote innovation and a strategic choice to enhance international competitiveness," Shen Changyu, commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, said in his opening speech at the forum.
China's IP governance actively adapts to the development needs of emerging sectors, advancing an IP protection system that evolves and responds to changing conditions. Shen listed some ongoing efforts, including guidelines addressing the inventiveness standard for AI patents, data IP pilot programs in 17 provinces that have received over 100,000 applications, and a nationwide network of protection centers offering one-stop, rapid and efficient patent review services for innovators.
The forum is a major event during this year's IP Publicity Week, bringing together officials, enterprise executives and legal experts from home and abroad.
BrainCo, a brain-machine interface company and one of Hangzhou's cutting-edge "Six Little Dragons" tech firms, said its growth has benefited from IP protection. It has filed more than 550 patent applications since its founding eight years ago. As a leader in the emerging industry, BrainCo urged enterprises to take a long-term view, invest more in original R&D, and accelerate the commercialization of high-value patents to bring them from laboratories to the market.
"Innovation in emerging fields is a marathon without a finish line, and IP protection is our accelerator and guardian," said Yang Chengjun, senior vice president of BrainCo.
The view was echoed by Qian Kun, a global senior vice president of U.S. tech giant Qualcomm, who believes innovation demands long-term and high-risk investment. Strong external guarantees, especially a stable patent protection system, are essential, he said. Qian praised China for including "improving IP protection in emerging fields" in this year's government work report and expressed confidence that China's evolving IP system will support high-quality, innovation-driven growth.
Footwear giant Nike also spoke at the forum, as this year's World IP Day theme is "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate!" The company commended China's ongoing revisions to its Trademark Law, which aim to crack down on bad-faith filings and raise the cost of violations. It said a sound legal environment is key to its commitment to China, and it has benefited greatly from the country's IP protection system.
China's experience in IP governance aligns with its commitment to global AI governance, which follows the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.
Ma Yide, dean of the School of IP at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, said China's large IP share in some emerging industries shows its shift from a follower to an important contender and even a leader.
"But leading in numbers does not mean leading in innovation level," Ma warned. "Foundational and original patents are still scarce, core algorithms still rely on others, and patent commercialization rates lag behind those of developed countries."
In his keynote speech, Ma called for more funding for large models, embodied AI and brain-computer interfaces, a quality-centered patent evaluation system, and stronger global patent filings. For future industries such as quantum information, bio-manufacturing and 6G, he added that IP protection should be more proactive, providing support from start to finish.
"China should pursue its IP development with a global vision," Ma said, noting that China can draw on international experience. He cited the U.S. strengths in basic research, patenting and tech transfer, the EU's role in data and AI rules, Japan's expertise in IP finance, and the Republic of Korea's strengths in talent cultivation.
"Through mutual learning and exchange, China can help build a fairer and more equitable global IP governance system and contribute Eastern wisdom to the progress of human civilization," Ma told Xinhua.
