BEIJING: China’s top intellectual property regulator is intensifying efforts to bolster IP protection for emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and big data as part of a broader strategy to support the development of new quality productive forces, a senior official said.
“Intellectual property is a strategic asset for national growth and a core component of international competitiveness,” Shen Changyu, head of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, told China Daily in an exclusive interview ahead of World Intellectual Property Day on April 26.
His remark coincided with the upcoming annual National Intellectual Property Publicity Week, which highlights IP-related achievements nationwide and runs from Monday to Sunday.
Shen noted that as technological revolutions and industrial transformations accelerate, emerging technologies such as AI, integrated circuits, biomedicine, quantum technology, 6G communications and brain-computer interfaces are reshaping economic structures and creating new demands for IP protection.
To encourage innovation and support high-quality development, the administration has implemented several measures and seen significant progress, Shen said. He emphasized the need to continuously refine the legal framework, expedite trademark and patent reviews, and optimize services to boost IP commercialization in emerging fields.
In 2025, among China’s valid invention patents, those from the fields of computer and medical technologies recorded the fastest growth rate, while AI patents topped global rankings. The number of trademark registrations related to AI and other emerging sectors touched 324,300, bringing the total number of valid trademarks in these fields to 4.39 million by the end of 2025, a 5.94 percent increase from the previous year.
“These figures indicate sustained enthusiasm for trademarks in emerging areas, reflecting both growing innovation vitality and heightened trademark protection awareness among technology players,” Shen said.
The administration has streamlined procedures and optimized rules to improve the quality and efficiency of IP reviews. A patent review guideline was revised thrice — in 2019, 2023, and 2025 — to specifically address AI-related applications.
“The latest version introduces a dedicated section on AI and Big Data for the first time, with a strong focus on ethical oversight,” Shen said. “It clarifies that core technical aspects must align with legal standards, social morals and public interest, to fortify safety guardrails and promote AI development in a healthy manner.” –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
