WIPO China: Empowering High-Level Tech Self-Reliance, Advancing IP Innovation and Development

Wuhan, April 11, 2026 – The 2026 Intellectual Property Rights Nanhu Forum, themed "Accelerating High-Level Scientific and Technological Self-Reliance and Innovation-Driven Development of Intellectual Property," opened in Wuhan. Ms. Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), delivered a written opening address at the forum.

Ms. Wang noted that China has become the first country with over five million valid domestic invention patents and continues to lead globally in PCT filings. She emphasized that high-level self-reliance requires breakthrough capabilities in core technologies, with IP serving as both guardian and catalyst; that innovation must be open, green, and inclusive, with IP playing a greater role in addressing global challenges; and that in the age of AI, we must embrace the tool while safeguarding human creativity and agency.

Ms. Wang reiterated that high-level self-reliance does not mean closed-door innovation, but rather developing autonomous technological capabilities in key areas. She introduced the WIPO GREEN marketplace and encouraged more Chinese green technologies to benefit the world through the platform. On AI, she stated that AI should be a tool rather than a replacement for creators, as inspiration, emotion, and aesthetic judgment remain uniquely human. WIPO will continue to follow, through mechanisms such as the annual "Conversations on IP and Frontier Technologies," a wide range of frontier IP legal issues arising from artificial intelligence.

Ms. Wang also highlighted WIPO's cooperation with Chinese universities and its Young Experts Program, calling on more young Chinese scholars and professionals to engage in global IP governance. She reaffirmed WIPO's commitment to deepening cooperation with China through global service systems such as PCT, Madrid, and Hague, supporting the country's pursuit of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance while fostering open, inclusive, and green innovation.

Ms. Deng Yuhua, Counsellor of the WIPO Office in China, delivered a speech titled "Intellectual Property: Connecting Innovation" at the forum, sharing WIPO's latest practices in global service systems, green technology platforms, AI governance, and talent cultivation.

About the IPR Nanhu Forum

The IPR Nanhu Forum was founded in 2004 by the Center for Studies of Intellectual Property Rights of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. After 22 years of development, the forum has attracted over 7,000 participants, bringing together top domestic and international experts as well as high-level representatives from international organizations. It has grown into one of the most influential international academic brands in China's IP community.

The 2026 forum is being held in Wuhan from April 11 to 12, lasting two days. In addition to the main forum, eight specialized parallel sessions have been organized. The event has attracted representatives from international organizations such as WIPO and INTA, along with over 500 experts, scholars, industry leaders, and legal practitioners from countries including China, the UK, the US, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland. The discussion topics cover cutting-edge areas such as AI and IP, data IP, patent protection, judicial safeguards, brand operation, industrial innovation, film and television copyright, and a young scholars' forum. The forum provides a comprehensive platform focused on key and emerging IP issues, driving both theoretical innovation and practical application.