WIPO China: IP Empowers the Development of Culture and Tourism Industries

Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, May 16-18, 2025 – The 2025 Tsinghua PBC Global Finance Forum, hosted by Tsinghua University and organized by the Tsinghua PBC School of Finance, was held in Shenzhen. Ms. Liu Hua, Director of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Office in China (WOC), attended the Forum and participated in the thematic panel discussion on “Finance Boosting Culture and Tourism as Pillar Industries.”

Ms. Liu noted that China’s culture and tourism industries have a solid foundation for development, supported by factors such as resources, policies, market demand, and infrastructure. These industries are playing an increasingly important role in driving high-quality economic and social development. Intellectual property (IP), as a powerful catalyst for stimulating innovation and creativity, promoting the commercialization of creative outputs, and enhancing brand value, plays a positive role in unlocking the economic potential of the culture and tourism sectors and supporting their growth into pillar industries. 

However, with the convergence of the two innovation waves, the “Digital Age” and “Deep Science”, cultural and tourism enterprises are facing a range of new challenges in the protection, management, and commercialization of IP rights. These include questions regarding the copyrightability of AI-generated content, the unauthorized use and infringement of cultural works during dissemination across digital platforms, the weakening of cultural distinctiveness due to repetitive IP themes, and the challenges posed by frontier technologies to existing legal and regulatory frameworks. 

Ms. Liu introduced WIPO’s services and resources available to enterprises, including international IP registration systems such as the PCT, Madrid, and Hague systems, which support the development of global IP portfolios; alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services such as arbitration and mediation, which facilitate the resolution of cross-border IP disputes; the Guides on IP for Business and the Hands-on Guides on IP Financing, which help enterprises strengthen their capacity in IP protection, management, and commercialization; and the free IP Diagnostics tool designed for SMEs. She also shared information on WIPO’s activities such as the World IP Day Youth Video Competition and the WIPO Global Awards, encouraging cultural and tourism enterprises to raise their awareness of IP, make full use of the services and platforms provided by WIPO, and integrate IP more effectively into their business operations and strategic planning, which can help enhance competitiveness and brand value, support international market expansion, and promote the sustainable commercialization of creative outputs.

This panel session also included discussions with representatives from the finance, cultural and creative, and technology sectors. Mr. Li Dongrong, former Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China, emphasized the need to develop financial instruments tailored to the characteristics of cultural enterprises and to enhance the commercialization of intangible assets. Ms. Yu Chunling, General Manager of the China Cultural Industry Investment Fund, noted the importance of establishing a multi-level, multi-channel, and multi-stakeholder cultural investment and financing system to support the market-oriented transformation of culture and tourism enterprises. Mr. Liu Peng, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of China Animation Group, stated that original content is central to promoting cross-sector integration in the cultural industries and called for increased long-term investment and institutional support. Mr. Fang Tengfei, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and Head of Tencent Smart Tourism, encouraged the integration of technology and cultural content to improve user experience and support the broader dissemination of cultural values through innovation. 

On the sidelines of the Forum, participants also conducted study visits to several Shenzhen-based enterprises, including Shenzhen East General Aviation, Shenzhen Transsion Holdings and WeBank. The WOC provided information on WIPO’s international IP registration systems, ADR services, hands-on IP finance guide, and the WIPO Global Awards. 

About the 2025 Tsinghua PBC Global Finance Forum

The 2025 Tsinghua PBC Global Finance Forum was held under the theme “A Shared Future: Building an Open and Inclusive Economic and Finance System.” Mr. Zhou Xiaochuan, Vice Chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former Governor of the People’s Bank of China attended the Opening Ceremony. Mr. Guo Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, and Mr. Jiao Jie, Dean, Tsinghua PBC School of Finance delivered opening remarks at the Opening Ceremony. Participants exchanged views on topics such as financial support for technological innovation, digital finance in the era of artificial intelligence, and the opportunities and challenges in green development.