The CNIPA recently released the "Patent Statistical Report on the Tenth Anniversary of China and Countries co-constructing the "Belt and Road" (2013-2022). The report systematically introduces the patent layout and salient features of China and the countries and related organizations co-building the "Belt and Road" (hereinafter referred to as the "co-building countries") over the past decade, objectively reflects the main progress and development of international intellectual property cooperation between China and the co-building countries, and the vigorous vitality in jointly constructing the “Belt and Road”.

What the report shows are as follows：

The patent layout of China and the co-building countries has achieved two-way growth. Over the past decade, Chinese applicants have applied for patents in 50 co-building countries. The cumulative number of published patent applications has reached 67,000, with an average annual growth rate of 25.8%, and the cumulative number of patent authorizations has reached 35,000, with an average annual growth rate of 23.8%. A total of 115 co-building countries have submitted patent applications in China. The number of patent applications and authorizations in China are 253,000 and 112,000, with an average annual growth rate of 5.4% and 9.8%, respectively higher than those of foreign patent applications and authorizations in China during the same period. The overall growth rate was 2.9% and 5.6% respectively.

Chinese enterprises’ layout in co-building countries has been increasingly strengthening. Over the past decade, 6,882 Chinese companies in total have carried out patent application activities in the co-building countries, among which, the top 5 companies have published over 2,000 patent applications, followed by Huawei (6,586), Xiaomi (2,807), and Alibaba (2,557), ZTE (2,243) and Tencent (2089).

The patent layout in key areas such as digital technology continues to develop. In the past 10 years, digital technology fields such as digital communications (12,000) and computer technology (9,000) have accounted for the largest share of China's patent applications disclosed in the co-building countries, accounting for 31.3% of the total. Among foreign patent applications in China, digital technology fields such as semiconductors (16,000), computer technology (15,000), and digital communications (13,000) account for 27.3% of the total.

The green construction of “Belt and Road” is innovating and accelerating. Over the past 10 years, China has published a total of 3,549 patent applications for green and low-carbon technology inventions in the co-building countries, with an average annual growth rate of 16.7%. The number of patent authorizations is 1,884, with an average annual growth of 15.8%. Since 2020, the number of published patent applications for green and low-carbon technology inventions has accelerated, with an average annual growth rate of 37.3% in the past 3 years.

From CNIPA

October 16th, 2023