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Intellectual property

China Enters Top 10 of Global Innovation Index for First Time

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

China has achieved a groundbreaking milestone, ranking 9th in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 report, making it the first time the country has entered the top 10. This remarkable achievement is attributed to the country's rapid advancements in science and technology, with numerous notable accomplishments such as the successful collection and return of samples from the far side of the Moon by the Chang'e-6 mission, the "high-quality burning" for 1,000 seconds at 100 million degrees Celsius in the "artificial sun" EAST, and the development of 5G communications, brain-computer interfaces, and Chinese brain stimulators.

The WIPO Assistant Director General, Marco Aleman, praised China's outstanding position as a global leader in innovation, stating that the country's ranking reflects its impressive performance in scientific and technological progress. China's scientific, technological, and industrial innovations are accelerating, with the benefits of scientific and technological progress constantly entering the lives of millions of families.

Key Takeaways:

  • China's innovation cluster, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster, has taken the first place globally among innovation clusters, demonstrating the country's exceptional performance in innovation.
  • China has amassed a massive 1.472 million active invention patents in strategic emerging industries as of June this year, with a significant number of patents accumulated in key areas such as artificial intelligence, new energy, and health and well-being.
  • China has the highest volume of international patent applications under the PCT system in the world, with a total of 4,077,485 international patent applications in 2024.
  • China surpassed 4 million active invention patents, becoming the first country to achieve this milestone.
  • The country's total R&D expenditure exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan in 2024, ranking second in the world.
  • Basic research expenditure reached an impressive 249.7 billion yuan in 2024.
  • As of 2024, there are more than 500,000 high-tech enterprises in China.
  • In 2024, 524 companies from mainland China entered the global top 2000 in terms of industrial R&D investment.

Statistics:

  • China's ranking in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 report is 9th.
  • The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranks first globally among innovation clusters.
  • China has 1.472 million active invention patents in strategic emerging industries.
  • China has 4,077,485 international patent applications under the PCT system in 2024.
  • China's total R&D expenditure exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan in 2024.
  • Basic research expenditure reached 249.7 billion yuan in 2024.
  • There are more than 500,000 high-tech enterprises in China as of 2024.
  • 524 companies from mainland China entered the global top 2000 in terms of industrial R&D investment in 2024.

Sources:

  • State Council News China
  • World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 report

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