China’s top innovation cluster tops WIPO 2025 global index

China's Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster has surged to the top of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII), marking a historic first and signaling a global shift toward China-led technological ecosystems.

According to WIPO, innovation clusters are dynamic sci-tech regions that serve as the beating heart of national innovation systems. These hubs unite top universities, researchers, inventors, venture capitalists, and research and development firms to drive technological advancement. Since 2017, WIPO has evaluated the innovation capacity of global economies annually.

This year's GII Cluster ranking identifies local concentrations of world-class innovation activity using three core metrics: international patent filings via WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), scientific publications and venture capital (VC) deals, which was newly added this year.

Wan Yong, vice dean of the Law School at Renmin University of China, said the inclusion of VC data reflects a broader shift in how innovation is measured globally.

"The level of venture capital activity in a region reflects the maturity of its innovation ecosystem, the strength of its industrial base, the friendliness of its policy environment, and the confidence of its capital markets. The inclusion of VC data marks a shift from a research-driven to a market-driven evaluation model. It signals the assessment of innovation extending from technical output to commercial value," said Wan.

According to WIPO data, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster accounts for 2.4 percent of global scientific publications, 9.0 percent of PCT patent filings, and 2.9 percent of global VC deals. While none of these individual metrics ranked first, the cluster's overall performance secured it the top spot, highlighting its strength in consistently translating intellectual property into economic value. "This year's results show that China's innovation capabilities are improving in both quality and efficiency and greatly contributing to the global innovation development. It also shows that China's efforts to build a world-class business environment have been recognized by the international community," said Wan.

China’s top innovation cluster tops WIPO 2025 global index

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te over his latest remarks on cross-Strait relations, accusing him of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a press release that Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office was "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation."

Chen accused Lai of stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," while exaggerating the so-called threats from the mainland and intensifying confrontation across the Strait.

Lai played an old trick of advocating the secessionist agenda on one hand and, on the other, calling insincerely for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland, attempting to mislead people in Taiwan and deceive the international community, he said.

Chen said that these common tricks have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese people. Their deceptive and provocative actions will be met with firm opposition from compatriots on both sides and the international community, and are doomed to fail.

Reaffirming the mainland's position on the Taiwan question, Chen said Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one in the future.

He described the Taiwan question as a historical issue left over from a Chinese civil war in the 1940s.

No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait, according to Chen.

The mainland would never allow any person or force to pursue secessionist activities under any pretext, he added.

Calling secessionists "the chief culprit" who undermines cross-Strait peace, Chen said the mainland would continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite broadly with Taiwan compatriots, combat secessionist activities, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.

Central government spokesperson refutes Lai Ching-te's latest remarks, warns against secessionist moves