Intellectual property (IP) is the source of innovation, and the IP system plays a crucial role in promoting cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
During the ongoing Third Belt and Road High-Level Conference on Intellectual Property, a number of exiting statistics have been announced: China has established cooperative relationships with IP institutions from over 60 BRI partner countries, as well as international and regional organizations; and more than 110 IP-related cooperation documents are currently being implemented. All of these demonstrate the continuous expansion of China’s IP “circle of friends”, which injects sustained momentum into the development of BRI partner countries and creates a symphony of mutual benefits.
This is a “circle of friends” that upholds win-win cooperation.
Promoting an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for technological advancement requires continuous efforts to enhance IP cooperation with BRI partner countries and regions. Data shows that from 2013 to 2023, Chinese enterprises filed 70,000 patent applications and received 35,000 patent authorizations in BRI partner countries and related organizations. Meanwhile, the cumulative number of patent applications and authorized patents by BRI partner countries in China reached 285,000 and 182,000 respectively. Following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the “circle of friends” has achieved common development and prosperity step by step.
This is a “circle of friends” that drives innovation.
Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is on the horizon, with a growing momentum for innovation-driven development. IP, as a fundamental incentive for innovation, a strategic resource for development, and a core factor of competitiveness, is playing an increasingly prominent role. From 2013 to 2023, China obtained 27,000 authorized invention patents in core digital economy industries from BRI partner countries and related organizations, with an average annual growth rate of 16.9%. At the same time, BRI partner countries have received 55,000 authorized patents in core digital economy industries in China, marking an average annual growth rate of 11.6%. Digital technology innovation is providing strong support for the digital transformation of Belt and Road cooperation.
This is a “circle of friends” that embraces green and low-carbon development.
From 2016 to 2023, China filed a total of 3,637 patent applications and obtained 1,664 authorized patents for inventions in green and low-carbon technologies in BRI partner countries and related organizations, with average annual growth rates of 26.0% and 21.3% respectively. In the meantime, 63 BRI partner countries filed green and low-carbon invention patents in China, with a cumulative total of 16,507 applications and 9,930 patents granted, reflecting average annual growth rates of 7.7% and 3.1% respectively. The progress of the green BRI development is accelerating.
Since the beginning of the new era, China’s IP sector has developed rapidly, making a strong contribution to the building of an innovation powerhouse. At the same time, it has remained committed to advancing more effective IP protection and utilization, working together to forge a path of innovation. The preliminary report of the Global Innovation Index 2024 (GII) released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, shows that China, for the second consecutive year, leads the world with the most top 100 science and technology clusters.
At the conference, foreign experts shared their stories of IP cooperation with China and expressed their expectations for future collaboration.
“Bringing in” and “going global” strategies have led to fruitful cooperation outcomes that continue to expand along with the BRI.
The conference announced the launch of a series of pragmatic cooperation projects aimed at deepening cooperation among all parties, including a pilot program for accelerated patent examination to expedite the protection of innovative achievements from various countries in China, and a pilot project for geographical indication protection and cooperation, which will lay a solid foundation for the mutual recognition, mutual protection, and cross-border trade of high-quality geographical indication products.
Over the past decade, fruitful achievements have been made in IP cooperation under the BRI. Traversing mountains and oceans, BRI IP cooperation is advancing the development of the global IP landscape and bringing greater benefits to people around the world.
