Xi pledges enhanced IP protection

In recent years, China has made historic accomplishments in IPR protection, which encourages innovation and provides a strong boost to the competitiveness of the Chinese economy.

Daren Tang, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, said that as more countries around the world are turning to innovation, creativity and IP to drive growth, the hosting of the AIPPI world congress in China for the first time highlighted the importance of working in partnership to strengthen the global IP ecosystem.

"One of the most striking IP developments in recent decades has been its explosive growth," Tang said in a video address, noting that a clear example is China's use of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, an international agreement that helps inventors and businesses apply for patents in multiple countries at the same time.

China has been the world's most active applicant for international patents for five consecutive years, with over 70,000 applications in 2023. The figure was just over 100 when the country joined the Patent Cooperation Treaty in 1994.

Hemant Singh, president of AIPPI India, said that in a global market where knowledge is driving economic development, nobody can benefit single-handedly without sharing knowledge with others.

He said that China, as a huge market with so much technical advancement and innovation, has the opportunity to lead the world in terms of how intellectual property should be protected, thus boosting the confidence of innovators and investors in China.

"So they are encouraged to come and invest more and more and China is encouraged to export more and more. It's a win-win thing for everyone," Singh said.