China's copyright registrations for computer software achieved a record high of over 2.8 million last year, the China Copyright Protection Center announced on Monday.
In 2024, the total number of computer software copyright registrations in China reached 2.827 million, marking an increase of 330,000 over the previous year and a 13-percent year-on-year growth.
Among these, software related to voice recognition, natural language processing, and intelligent analytics saw growth rates exceeding 30 percent, significantly outpacing the overall growth of all software categories. In emerging sectors such as biotechnology, low-altitude economy, the Internet of Things, and humanoid robots, software registrations surged by over 40 percent
This trend indicates that the application of cutting-edge technologies is accelerating the rapid development of related industries and injecting new impetus into economic growth..
Additionally, the number of software registrations in key industries like manufacturing, education, healthcare, finance, transportation, information security, electricity, and e-commerce also saw remarkable growth.
In 2024, these sectors collectively registered 77,000 more software pieces than the previous year, raising their share of the total software volume from 30 percent to 32 percent.
Notably, the manufacturing sector stood out, with its software registrations reaching 8.0 percent of the total, reflecting the industry's strong resilience as a pillar of the national economy and its crucial role in leading the digital economy era.
China sees record 2.8 mln computer software copyright registrations in 2024
The 2026 Qixi Festival Gala, produced by China Media Group (CMG), got underway at 20:00 Beijing Time on Wednesday, marking the annual celebration of one of China's oldest and most cherished traditional festivals.
The Qixi Festival, also referred to as the Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on the seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar. It dates back more than 2,000 years and was inscribed on China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.
The festival's enduring romantic association stems from the legends of the cowherd Niulang and the weaver girl Zhinyu, star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way who are permitted to meet only once a year when a flock of magpies forms a bridge across the heavens.
In ancient China, young women celebrate the festival by praying to Zhinyu for clever hands and domestic talents. Today, couples usually spend the day by exchanging gifts and many partners choose this auspicious date to register their marriages or hold collective traditional weddings.
This year's gala centered on the motif of a bridge, linking ancient myth with contemporary life.
A travelogue performance themed around the mythological bridge ran through the entire event, which featured songs, dances, traditional operas and ballet.
A highlight of the gala was a micro-film which explores shared Qixi customs between people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
Among the evening's touching highlights was a short film featuring the enduring romance of 88-year-old Chinese radar technology expert Ben De, recipient of China's 2026 State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, and his wife. The award is the nation's highest honor for scientific and technological achievement.
This year's gala centered on co-creation, featuring segments with real couples from across the country to jointly celebrate the millennia-old traditions through contemporary expressions of love.
CMG airs special TV gala to celebrate China's 2,000-year-old love festival
