China's defense patent applications exceeded 20,000, becoming a strong driving force for the nation's military innovations. China's patent applications outnumbered those abroad for the past three years.

National defense applications have increased 40 percent annually since 2000, and the implementation rate of patents has been steady at 70 percent each year.

In 1990, China issued the Regulation on National Defense Patents, which signaled the establishment of the national patent system.

On Sept 17, 2004, the newly revised National Defense Patents document was published to further define patent laws and regulations.

On June 5, 2008, the State Council issued the Outline of the National Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy, and on May 6, 2009, the leading group for the implementation of national IP implementation was established. Related measures on IP management will be introduced soon, authorities said.

(Source: China Daily)