China tops 5.39m valid patents, enters global innovation top 10

The number of valid invention patents in China has reached 5.394 million, the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) announced at this year's China Intellectual Property Annual Conference (CIPAC), taking place in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

China has led the world in Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications for seven consecutive years. The country also ranks among the top globally for filings of industrial designs under the Hague System and international trademarks under the Madrid System, according to the NIPA.

In terms of utilization, added value of China's patent-intensive industries has exceeded 18 trillion yuan (about 2.68 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for 13.38 percent of the GDP. Meanwhile, annual imports and exports of intellectual property royalties have surpassed 400 billion yuan, said the NIPA.

A total of 129 national-level IP protection centers and rapid enforcement centers have been established across China, as well as 116 guidance platforms for overseas IP dispute response. The country's social satisfaction score on IP protection has reached 82.81.

China's innovation capabilities have also gained global recognition. According to the Global Innovation Index 2025 by World Intellectual Property Organization, China's ranking has risen to the 10th place worldwide, marking the first time the country has entered the global top 10. The country has also had the world's largest number of innovation clusters among the top 100 global ranking for three consecutive years.

With the theme of promoting high-quality IP development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), this year's CIPAC will include one main forum, 13 parallel sessions, and over 20 activities focused on topics such as artificial intelligence, patent services and the newly revised Trademark Law.

Since its inauguration in 2010, the annual CIPAC has become a high-end platform for showcasing China's development in the IP sector, facilitating exchanges on cutting-edge industry topics and promoting related services.

China's civil aviation market is projected to sustain robust long‑term growth, with Airbus forecasting demand for 8,830 new passenger aircraft over the next 20 years, more than 20 percent of global demand.

Airbus, Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer, said surging household incomes and accelerated urbanization are driving airlines to expand their networks beyond major hubs into smaller cities, reshaping domestic travel patterns.

Per‑capita air trips in China are expected to rise from 0.5 to 1.4 annually, a sharp increase that reflects rising incomes and expanding airline networks. Yet the figure still trails mature aviation markets, pointing to vast untapped potential.

Industry executives stressed that despite global economic headwinds, China's aviation sector remains the most resilient growth engine for civil aviation worldwide, reinforcing its central role in shaping the industry's future.