WIPO China: A Decade of Achievement, Charting New Horizons - Roundtable on the 10th Anniversary of WIPO Office in China Held in Beijing

Beijing, December 18, 2024 - The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Office in China (WOC) hosted a commemorative roundtable marking its tenth anniversary. Representatives from various institutions including the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Supreme People's Court (SPC), Beijing Municipal Government, Xicheng District Government, along with delegates from universities and enterprises gathered to reflect on a decade of cooperation and envision future development. WIPO Deputy Director General Ms. Wang Binying delivered remarks online, while Ms. Liu Hua, Director of WOC, moderated the roundtable.

 

In her remarks, Ms. Wang noted that since its establishment in June 2014 as one of WIPO's seven external offices, WOC has witnessed the continuous expansion of cooperation between WIPO and China across various fields, providing robust support for WIPO's growing presence in the country. She emphasized that WOC will further strengthen the promotion of WIPO's global intellectual property (IP) services and initiatives in China, with a particular focus on new areas such as WIPO GREEN and WIPO ADR. Against the backdrop of profound changes in the global IP system, she observed that emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and green technology are bringing both new challenges and opportunities to IP protection and governance.

Ms. Wang emphasized China's rich experience in IP development and reaffirmed WOC's commitment to serving as a crucial bridge between China and the global IP community. She noted that WOC will continue to actively promote China's IP journey and best practices worldwide, contributing to the development of an inclusive, balanced, and sustainable global IP ecosystem.

Ms. Liu noted that over the past decade, WOC has consistently fulfilled its role as WIPO's extension and bridge in China, witnessing and participating in the robust development of China's IP landscape. In highlighting the achievements of WIPO-China collaboration, Ms. Liu emphasized the significant progress made across key areas. China has emerged as a leading user of WIPO's global IP services, including the PCT System, Madrid System, and Hague System. In 2023, China maintained its global leadership position in PCT international patent applications for the fifth consecutive year, while ranking second worldwide in international design applications under the Hague System and third in international trademark applications under the Madrid System. The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service, as the first authorized foreign-related IP dispute resolution institution in China, has established partnerships with six provincial High People's Courts and successfully resolved over 120 foreign-related IP mediation and arbitration cases.

In the area of talent development, the WIPO-China Summer School network has expanded to include six universities, and WIPO has also developed joint master's degree programs with Tongji University and Tsinghua University. Regarding innovation and sustainable development, China has made significant contributions to the WIPO GREEN platform with over 9,500 green technologies, while Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing have successively joined the WIPO GREEN China Cities Green Technology Acceleration Project. Through collaboration with CNIPA, WIPO has established a network of 149 Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) across China, providing specialized IP information services to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their innovation and development. In the 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking of top science and technology (S&T) clusters, China has maintained its leadership position for the second consecutive year with 26 clusters, demonstrating its strong innovative capabilities.

Looking ahead, Ms. Liu highlighted two major innovation waves shaping the future: the digital age and deep science. She called for Chinese stakeholders to actively participate in WIPO Conversation on IP and Frontier Technologies, particularly in strengthening international collaboration in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing. She also outlined WIPO's "Five Golden Keys" that support innovation and creativity: policy platforms, registration systems, databases, cooperation platform systems, and capacity building. Ms. Liu encouraged all sectors in China - government, academia, business, and civil society - to take full advantage of these resources.

To foster global innovation, WIPO maintains comprehensive open-access databases comprising over 120 million patent records, over 16 million industrial design records, and over 67 million trademark records, serving as a vital resource for innovation activities worldwide. In enhancing IP awareness, WOC actively disseminates WIPO's latest news and China's innovation success stories through its official website and social media platforms. The office has placed particular emphasis on advancing SMEs' innovation and empowering women and young inventors, successfully catalyzing broader participation of Chinese innovators and creators in the field of IP.

Voice of Participants

Mr. Han Guoqing, Deputy Director General of CNIPA's International Cooperation Department, emphasized China's remarkable IP achievements over the past decade, with invention patent and trademark applications maintaining global leadership for consecutive years and China's GII ranking advancing from 30th to 11th place. CNIPA will continue to deepen collaboration with WIPO in IP protection and utilization to promote the development of frontier technologies. Mr. Tang Zhaozhi, Deputy Director General of NCAC's Copyright Department, noted the close partnership between NCAC and WIPO in copyright treaty negotiations and industry development, expressing expectations for broader cooperation in copyright domains. Ms. Zheng Chunjing, Deputy Director General of SAMR's International Cooperation Department, highlighted that SAMR has strengthened exchanges with WOC in IP enforcement since 2018, while looking forward to advancing international cooperation in trade secrets protection and standard essential patents.

Ms. Wang Xiao, Deputy Director General of MOST's International Cooperation Department, noted that since WOC's establishment, MOST and WIPO have carried out substantial cooperation in areas such as the GII and S&T clusters research. She reaffirmed MOST's commitment to deepening collaboration with WIPO and exploring new opportunities for international S&T cooperation. Mr. Huang Qi, President of Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, highlighted the institution's close engagement with WIPO and expressed interest in further strengthening research cooperation in technological innovation. Ms. Zhang Jie of MOST's Strategic Planning Department expressed her anticipation for enhanced cooperation with WIPO in patent analysis of emerging technologies.

Ms. Lang Guimei, Deputy Chief Judge of SPC's Third Civil Division, highlighted SPC's sustained collaboration with WIPO across multiple domains, including case compilation, judicial forums, and database development. The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service, as the first international IP dispute resolution institution for foreign-related matters, has made significant contributions to local business development and enhancing the internationalization of China's dispute resolution mechanisms. Mr. Chu Guang, First Secretary of MFA's Department of International Organizations and Conferences, emphasized the robust partnership between China and WIPO, reaffirming MFA's continued support for WOC operations.

Mr. Zhou Liquan, Deputy Director General of Beijing Municipal Intellectual Property Office, emphasized Beijing's extensive collaboration with WIPO over the past decade, highlighting the establishment of a comprehensive IP protection mechanism citywide and expressing commitment to enhancing cooperation in patent commercialization and sustainable technology trading platforms. Mr. Cai Yong, Deputy Director of Xicheng District Market Supervision Administration, noted that since WOC set up its base in Xicheng, the district government has consistently strengthened support services and advanced district-wide IP governance to optimize the business environment and promote industrial upgrading. Ms. Wang Liying, Deputy Director of Shichahai Sub-district Office, stated that the office is committed to improving the area's infrastructure and providing enhanced services to all organizations, including WOC.

Mr. Wang Ale, Deputy Director of Peking University's Science and Technology Development Department, noted that as one of the first National IP Model Universities, Peking University has implemented various measures to enhance IP protection and innovation, achieving a patent commercialization rate of 30% to 40%. Mr. Yu Bo, Deputy Dean of School of Intellectual Property at East China University of Political Science and Law, highlighted that since the university partnered with WIPO to launch China's first WIPO-China Summer School in 2015, the program has trained 667 students from over 20 countries. He also expressed interest in deepening cooperation with WIPO in developing specialized features for the Summer School.

Mr. Zheng Yansong, General Manager of IP at Zhongguancun Development Group (ZDG), noted that as one of Beijing's integrated service providers for S&T innovation, ZDG's IP operations management company has served nearly 5,000 enterprises, while expressing interest in strengthening collaboration with WOC in international trademark registration. Mr. Shi Yilun, Chairman and CEO of Beijing Healinno Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (Healinno Tech), stated that as a winner of the 2024 WIPO Global Awards, Healinno Tech appreciates WOC's consistent support for its development, while hoping more Chinese enterprises will fully utilize WIPO's tools and resources in the future.

In her concluding remarks, Ms. Liu outlined WOC's future "Four P" strategic framework. First, encouraging Chinese innovators and creators to fully leverage World IP Day and WIPO Global Awards as platforms to explore and showcase their Potential of IP. Second, strengthening Partnerships through engagement with key regions including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, while participating in major events such as China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) and China International Import Expo (CIIE) to build a dynamic IP ecosystem. Third, enhancing Service Promotion by expanding from PCT, Madrid and Hague systems to emerging areas such as WIPO ADR services. Fourth, developing IP as a Policy Instrument for economic growth and social development through the promotion of TISCs and WIPO GREEN in China to drive innovation. Ms. Liu emphasized that WOC will continue to strengthen cooperation with all stakeholders to support China's IP development.

About Us

The WIPO Office in China (WOC), established in June 2014, is one of WIPO's seven external offices worldwide. As WIPO's representative office in China, WOC is dedicated to promoting the development of global IP service systems in China and facilitating exchanges between China, WIPO, and its member states. In recent years, WOC has actively promoted services such as PCT international patent applications and Madrid international trademark registration, while exploring new cooperation areas in patent information search, alternative dispute resolution, and green technology development. Through seminars, training activities, and other means, WOC provides professional support to Chinese innovation entities to help improve their innovation capabilities and IP protection.