China has accounted for most of the world's patent applications for five consecutive years.
In 2015, over 1.1 million applications were filed, a 22 percent increase over the year before. Industries such as information technology, software, communication devices, intelligent manufacturing, bio-medicine, advanced material, energy and environmental protection, and resource recycling, dominate the field.
From 2010 to 2014, the value-added of these sectors reached 26.7 trillion yuan, accounting for eleven percent of the GDP. And...at the same time, these sectors also promoted the country's export sales, thanks to their great competitiveness in the global market. From 2010 to 2014, the value of these exports accounted for 19.3 percent of the whole, nearly 2 times the average volume in other industries. And with the increasing numbers of patents filed domestically, foreign innovation is also on the rise.
Many Chinese companies are emerging in the global patent landscape. Huawei has over 3800 patent applications abroad, and ZTE, over 2100 applications.