On July 29, a press conference held by the State Council Information Office of China signaled a strong start to the country's intellectual property (IP) agenda for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), outlining a roadmap for high-quality IP development over the next five years. What new trends will shape China's IP landscape, and what opportunities will they create for innovators worldwide? Here's what to expect.
Next-Gen
Upgrading Protection for Emerging Fields
Emerging and future industries — including artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology — are characterized by rapid technological iteration and increasingly cross-sector innovation, creating new demands for IP protection during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. According to Rui Wenbiao, Spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) at the press conference, the administration will tailor its approach to the development of different emerging industries and pursue coordinated improvements across four dimensions of the IP system — making better use of existing rules, improving current mechanisms, integrating complementary systems, and establishing new ones. Its goal is to provide more effective mechanisms for granting and securing IP rights, clearer rules on the ownership, scope and forms of protection, as well as more efficient coordinated protection and infringement response mechanisms.
AI is a key driver of the new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Enhancing synergies between AI and IP is not only essential to industrial development but also an important way to foster innovation. "China has already built a strong portfolio of high-value patents in fields such as 5G, AI and new energy vehicles. This provides a solid foundation for overcoming key technological bottlenecks and enhancing the competitiveness of related industries," said Liu Yi, Director General of CNIPA's Department of Treaty and Law. According to the press conference, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, CNIPA will continue improving AI-related IP policies and systems while leveraging AI to enhance the quality and efficiency of IP administration. It will further refine patent examination standards on key issues such as AI ethics, patent-eligible subject matter and sufficiency of disclosure. It will also deepen international cooperation on AI-related IP and actively participate in the development of international rules, technical standards and governance frameworks.
High-Value
Advancing Innovation Quality
Patents are a key indicator of innovation, and the steady growth of high-value patents reflects China's growing innovation capacity. As of June 2026, China was home to 2.36 million high-value invention patents, making a significant contribution to global innovation.
Since the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), IP-related indicators have been incorporated into the outlines of China's national economic and social development plans. "During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China aims to raise the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people to more than 22, an increase of more than six compared with the end of the previous five-year period. The target reflects our confidence in China's continued improvement in innovation capacity and performance," said Liang Xinxin, Director General of CNIPA's Strategic Planning Department. To further strengthen its innovation-driven economy, China will continue refining patent laws and policies to ensure timely and effective protection for major scientific and technological breakthroughs. It will also continue advancing patent commercialization and utilization by improving patent quality while strengthening policy incentives, enabling more research breakthroughs to move from the laboratory to the marketplace and providing stronger technological support for the development of new quality productive forces.
World-Class
Building Globally Recognized Chinese Brands
Trademarks are essential assets for companies competing in international markets. In recent years, China has stepped up brand development, with an increasing number of Chinese brands gaining popularity among consumers worldwide. Today, one in every four business entities in China owns at least one valid registered trademark. "We will continue to strengthen policy support to cultivate more globally recognized brands while leveraging the combined value of trademarks, patents and other forms of IP to foster more Chinese brands driven by patented technologies," Liang said at the press conference.
Geographical indications (GIs) are becoming a powerful engine for regional development by transforming distinctive local resources into market value. According to the press conference, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, CNIPA will further strengthen GI protection, advance the development of national GI protection demonstration zones to high standards, explore new scenarios integrating GIs with tourism, culture, commerce and sports, and promote the integration of GIs with specialty industries, ecological conservation and cultural heritage, thereby contributing to China's all-around rural revitalization.
Openness
Expanding International IP Cooperation
IP has become the common language of global trade and economic cooperation. According to the press conference, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), CNIPA continued improving China's IP system, actively participated in global IP governance, and promoted institutional opening-up, achieving notable progress in IP rulemaking, protection and international cooperation.
China's opening-up has also strengthened the global competitiveness of Chinese innovators. In the first half of 2026, Chinese applicants remained among the world's leading filers of international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), international industrial design applications under the Hague System, and international trademark applications through the Madrid System.
Looking ahead, high-standard opening-up will require equally high-standard international IP cooperation. According to Guo Wen, Director General of CNIPA's IP Protection Department, China will continue to uphold the principles of openness, cooperation and mutual benefit, proactively align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, further improve IP protection mechanisms aligned with international rules, and conclude more IP cooperation agreements with countries and regions to better support the development of a high-standard open economy.
China's IP Performance by the Numbers (H1 2026)
·453,000 invention patents granted
·2.055 million trademarks registered
·64 GI products recognized and 8 GIs approved for registration as collective or certification trademarks
·5,061 integrated circuit layout-design registration certificates issued
·2 new national IP protection centers and 6 rapid enforcement centers approved for establishment
·More than 19,000 enterprises benefited from patent and trademark pledge financing nationwide