WIPO China: A Decade of Achievement, Charting New Horizons - Roundtable on the 10th Anniversary of WIPO Office in China Held in Beijing

Beijing, December 18, 2024 - The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Office in China (WOC) hosted a commemorative roundtable marking its tenth anniversary. Representatives from various institutions including the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Supreme People's Court (SPC), Beijing Municipal Government, Xicheng District Government, along with delegates from universities and enterprises gathered to reflect on a decade of cooperation and envision future development. WIPO Deputy Director General Ms. Wang Binying delivered remarks online, while Ms. Liu Hua, Director of WOC, moderated the roundtable.

In her remarks, Ms. Wang noted that since its establishment in June 2014 as one of WIPO's seven external offices, WOC has witnessed the continuous expansion of cooperation between WIPO and China across various fields, providing robust support for WIPO's growing presence in the country. She emphasized that WOC will further strengthen the promotion of WIPO's global intellectual property (IP) services and initiatives in China, with a particular focus on new areas such as WIPO GREEN and WIPO ADR. Against the backdrop of profound changes in the global IP system, she observed that emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and green technology are bringing both new challenges and opportunities to IP protection and governance.

Ms. Wang emphasized China's rich experience in IP development and reaffirmed WOC's commitment to serving as a crucial bridge between China and the global IP community. She noted that WOC will continue to actively promote China's IP journey and best practices worldwide, contributing to the development of an inclusive, balanced, and sustainable global IP ecosystem.

Ms. Liu noted that over the past decade, WOC has consistently fulfilled its role as WIPO's extension and bridge in China, witnessing and participating in the robust development of China's IP landscape. In highlighting the achievements of WIPO-China collaboration, Ms. Liu emphasized the significant progress made across key areas. China has emerged as a leading user of WIPO's global IP services, including the PCT System, Madrid System, and Hague System. In 2023, China maintained its global leadership position in PCT international patent applications for the fifth consecutive year, while ranking second worldwide in international design applications under the Hague System and third in international trademark applications under the Madrid System. The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service, as the first authorized foreign-related IP dispute resolution institution in China, has established partnerships with six provincial High People's Courts and successfully resolved over 120 foreign-related IP mediation and arbitration cases.

In the area of talent development, the WIPO-China Summer School network has expanded to include six universities, and WIPO has also developed joint master's degree programs with Tongji University and Tsinghua University. Regarding innovation and sustainable development, China has made significant contributions to the WIPO GREEN platform with over 9,500 green technologies, while Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing have successively joined the WIPO GREEN China Cities Green Technology Acceleration Project. Through collaboration with CNIPA, WIPO has established a network of 149 Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) across China, providing specialized IP information services to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their innovation and development. In the 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking of top science and technology (S&T) clusters, China has maintained its leadership position for the second consecutive year with 26 clusters, demonstrating its strong innovative capabilities.

Looking ahead, Ms. Liu highlighted two major innovation waves shaping the future: the digital age and deep science. She called for Chinese stakeholders to actively participate in WIPO Conversation on IP and Frontier Technologies, particularly in strengthening international collaboration in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing. She also outlined WIPO's "Five Golden Keys" that support innovation and creativity: policy platforms, registration systems, databases, cooperation platform systems, and capacity building. Ms. Liu encouraged all sectors in China - government, academia, business, and civil society - to take full advantage of these resources.

Primary reference: View the original document.