From January to September 2025, China granted 628,708 domestic invention patents, 1,115,533 utility model patents, and 466,954 design patents. These figures indicate that China continues to demonstrate large-scale innovation output in the patent grant stage.

Leading Enterprises and Global Patent Strategy

In terms of Global Patent Strategy, Huawei has ranked first for eight consecutive years in PCT international patent applications filed under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), underscoring its world-class competitiveness across multiple sectors including communications, terminal devices, automotive technology, and artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, in the “2025 China Enterprises Patent Strength Top 500” list released by a social organization, Huawei took the top position with a score of 99.95. The top 10 also included Xiaomi Group, ZTE, OPPO, VIVO, Alibaba Group, Tencent Technology, CATL, BYD, and Gree, collectively forming the leading echelon of China's tech innovation.

Regional Clusters and Industry Hotspots

Regionally, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area contributed approximately one-sixth of China's invention patents and trademarks.

In technological terms, patent growth related to motor/energy systems and battery sub-technologies has been particularly rapid, with battery-related patents surging by 79% year-on-year. China also accounts for about 40.3% of global 6G patent filings, firmly ranking first in the world.

Frontier Technologies Leading Innovation Waves

Cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and 6G communications remain key focuses, becoming priorities for corporate patent strategies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): more than 330,000 AI-related patents have been filed in the past 3 years, with invention patents comprising 97.2%. Tencent leads with 8,975 applications, followed by Baidu with 4,809.

Robotics: Nearly 290,000 robotics technology patents cover core applications like motors, controllers, and visual sensors.

Autonomous Driving: Over 84% of patents are invention patents. Huawei leads with 2,279 patents, followed by Xiaomi (1,398) and Tencent (1,165), reflecting strong engagement as pioneering enterprises.

Other Key Sectors: Patent applications are concentrated in semiconductor chips, new energy technologies, and biopharmaceuticals.

Total patent applications are expected to stabilize and rebound after 2026, with generative AI, quantum communications, 6G, and other emerging fields likely to witness a patent boom.