The western China serves as a vital national hub for energy, modern equipment manufacturing, and high-tech industries, playing an essential role in China's overall reform, development, and stability. On October 30, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) held a press conference, highlighting how intellectual property (IP) development is supporting the advancement of large-scale development in the western China in the new era.
According to CNIPA Spokesperson and Director General of the General Office Heng Fuguang, the CNIPA has been supporting the western region in conducting special actions for patent commercialization and utilization. The CNIPA has reviewed 246,000 existing invention patents in western China, of which 172,000 have been included in a patent resource pool designed to spur innovation in industries such as new energy, equipment manufacturing, and the low-altitude economy. These initiatives foster new quality productive forces tailored to local needs. Additionally, the provinces and municipalities in the western region have been proactive in enhancing cooperation, resource sharing, and information exchange. Substantial, effective efforts have been made to empower distinctive industries through IP and promote further development and openness in the region.
Innovative western China: Driving high-quality development
In Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area, the Seres Super Factory, with over 3,000 robots, has launched intelligent collaborative operations, enabling the production line to output a new energy vehicle every 30 seconds at peak efficiency. In Xi'an, Shaanxi, CASPE has leveraged modern mathematical techniques to develop a new paradigm of embodied intelligence, enabling robots to process information with human-like sensory perception and thinking.
"We support the cultivation of high-value core patents in critical sectors such as intelligent connected new energy vehicles, electronic information, and biomedicine. Our goal is to promote patent-intensive product certification, strengthening and reinforcing industrial chains and attracting innovation-driven development," said He Dawei, Director General of Chongqing Intellectual Property Office.
Shaanxi has proactively integrated patent commercialization and utilization into the Qinchuangyuan Innovation Drive Platform and the "three reforms" of technological achievement commercialization, focusing on breaking through obstacles that hinder the fusion of scientific and educational strengths with economic development to foster new quality productive forces.
"We are actively incorporating key measures such as open patent licensing, pre-application patent assessments, and the declaration of patents stemming from publicly funded projects into the 'three reforms'. Our aim is to create a 'springboard' that integrates technological innovation with industrial development," said Shen Liping, Director General of Shaanxi Intellectual Property Office.
Open western China: Building collective strength across regions
As a key node in the new western land-sea corridor, Guangxi is vigorously pursuing maritime strengths and open development, aiming to establish itself as a robust IP hub with high standards and effectively supporting the "one zone, two areas, one park, and one corridor" initiative.
"Guangxi is leveraging its position as 'Guangxi's brand, China's gateway, and a link to ASEAN' to facilitate consensus and achievements in IP capacity building, protection, and utilization between China and ASEAN," said Li Changhua, Level Ⅰ Bureau Rank Official at the Intellectual Property Office of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. "We are committed to transforming our geographical advantages into open development advantages to support western development in the new era," Li said.
Ningxia has created numerous stories of open development that reach beyond regional boundaries.
"We have strengthened the joint protection of geographical indications (GIs) across the nine Yellow River provinces and the western region, successfully hosting the work symposium on western GI protection. We have established a partnership for IP protection and cooperation with Fujian, enhancing collaboration in cross-regional case handling, IP protection center development, and patent commercialization and utilization, propelling Ningxia's innovative enterprises toward further growth," said Ma Rulin, Director General of Ningxia Intellectual Property Office.
Abundant western China: Unleashing vitality of distinctive industries
Spanning around 72% of the nation's land area, China's western region is abundant in diverse natural resources.
As of the end of September 2024, the western region had certified 931 GI products and held 2,389 GI trademarks, with a direct annual output value of 429.84 billion yuan. The establishment of 42 national GI product protection demonstration zones and 15 GI protection projects has played a significant role in strengthening the link between poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, helping the western populace to share the benefits of development.
"Sichuan adheres to a dual approach of 'regulatory protection and utilization and promotion', focusing on strengthening institutional guarantees, intensifying brand development, leveraging radiating and driving effects, and enhancing regulatory protection. Our efforts are transforming the resource advantages of GIs into a competitive edge for developing unique industries," said Zhao Hui, Deputy Director General (Bureau-Director level) of Sichuan Intellectual Property Office.
"Xinjiang's GI products span four major sectors - grain and oil, cotton and textiles, organic fruits and vegetables, and quality livestock products - which form half of Xinjiang's 'nine major industrial clusters'," said Duolikun Awuti, Director General of Xinjiang Intellectual Property Office. "Many products have significantly increased in brand value since achieving GI status. We are using this advantage to develop the GI industry and support rural revitalization," he said.
Looking towards the boundless western region, the expanding scope of IP layout and the strengthening of IP efforts are continuously providing a steady stream of energy to support high-quality development in the western region.