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.
China ranks among leading holders of AI patents
China ranks among leading holders of AI patents
China ranks among leading holders of AI patents
China's latest high-speed train model has reached 450 kilometers per hour in test runs, pushing the frontier of the country's high-end manufacturing and further underpinning its strategy of promoting industrial upgrading through technological innovation.
The CR450 high-speed train, China's newest-generation high-speed train, has completed half of its road tests, marking a milestone for the country's railway industry and reflecting closer integration between manufacturing and research, according to a leading railway scientist.
"Extensive work has been carried out on the CR450 project since 2025, and significant progress has been made. So far, the train has completed about 300,000 kilometers of testing, with more than half of the evaluation process already finished," said Zhao Hongwei, a chief researcher at the China Academy of Railway Sciences.
Developed entirely with independent intellectual property rights, the CR450 also demonstrates stronger resilience in China's industrial supply chains. The project is boosting related sectors such as machinery, metallurgy, electronics and chemicals, as key components are now produced domestically.
"A high-speed train is a highly complex piece of engineering equipment. We estimate it contains more than 40,000 components, along with multiple control systems. These parts come from many different sectors, supported by an entire industrial ecosystem. So projects like this naturally drive the development of the broader industrial chain," said Zhao.
The train also offers a glimpse of the direction China's manufacturing sector is heading for, as the government has pledged during this year's" two sessions" to promote the full integration between technological and industrial innovation.
Speaking at the Ministers' Corridor during the annual meetings, Li Lecheng, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, emphasized the need to translate scientific breakthroughs into tangible industrial progress.
"We will follow the principle that industry sets the questions and technology provides the answers. A new round of initiatives will upgrade key manufacturing supply chains, drive breakthroughs across the entire chain, and speed up their conversion into new quality productive forces," said Li.
China’s new high-speed train unveils ambition to bridge technology, manufacturing
