China ranks among leading holders of AI patents

China

China ranks among leading holders of AI patents

2026-01-23 11:18 Last Updated At：01-24 00:47

China ranks among the world's leading countries in the number of valid artificial intelligence (AI) invention patents, the country's top intellectual property regulator said on Friday.

According to the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the number of valid invention patents in the Chinese mainland had reached 5.32 million by the end of 2025.

"Among the valid invention patents in the mainland, the year-on-year growth rate of high-value invention patents was 2.2 percentage points higher than that of the country's total invention patents, with the number of such patents having reached 2.29 million. The fastest growth of valid invention patents was seen in fields such as information technology management, computer technology and medical technology, with patents related to artificial intellectual (AI) ranking among the top globally," said Rui Wenbiao, deputy head of the CNIPA.

About 70 percent of these high-value invention patents are concentrated in strategic emerging industries, according to the administration.

"A portfolio of key core technology patents has been established in future industries such as quantum technology, biomanufacturing, brain-computer interfaces, and the sixth-generation communications, speeding up the country's efforts to move significantly faster towards high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology," Rui said.

In 2026, the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period, the CNIPA will develop national standards for public service in intellectual property, and expand AI Plus intellectual property services application scenarios, an initiative aimed to promote the extensive, in-depth integration of AI across all industries throughout China's economy and society.

The administration will also deepen its special campaign to enhance intellectual property support to enterprises.

Israeli army chief says Gaza demilitarization remains top goal

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said on Friday that Israel remains committed to the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas, according to a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"We are not giving up on the war goal -- the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas," Zamir said during a tour of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

Accompanied by senior commanders, he ordered forces to intensify clearing operations in the area with a focus on destroying tunnel networks.

The army chief noted that troops are deployed along the "Yellow Line," demarcating Israeli-controlled areas under the ceasefire, systematically clearing "terrorist" infrastructure while controlling access to the strip.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF said in a statement that its troops in the northern Gaza Strip identified two militants entering a structure east of the "Yellow Line." The Israeli Air Force subsequently struck the building, with a hit confirmed.

A day earlier, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said Palestinian factions would not give up their weapons unless Israel fully adheres to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The latest Hamas-Israel ceasefire, in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, initially focused on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid to Gaza. A proposed second phase of the peace plan calls for a full Israeli military withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the start of reconstruction in the enclave under a transitional governing authority.