On 8 September, the 15th China Intellectual Property Annual Conference, themed “Striving to Promote High-Quality Development of the Intellectual Property Cause during the 15th Five-Year Plan Period”, opened in Beijing. SHEN Changyu, Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration; WU Wengang, Vice Governor of Shaanxi Province; WANG Guoqiang, General Manager of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited; Antti Sakari Riivari, Director General of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office; and Carsten Fink, Chief Economist of the World Intellectual Property Organization, attended the opening ceremony and delivered addresses. RUI Wenbiao, Deputy Commissioner of CNIPA, presided over the opening ceremony.

Shen Changyu noted that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China’s intellectual property cause achieved new development, new leaps and new improvements. Standing at the new historical starting point of the 15th Five-Year Plan, CNIPA will thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and expositions on intellectual property work and the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, earnestly ensure the implementation of the arrangements set out in the 15th Five-Year Plan for intellectual property, continue to optimise the environment for intellectual property protection, vigorously enhance the benefits of intellectual property utilisation, steadily improve the comprehensive intellectual property management system, and actively build a new landscape of international intellectual property cooperation, so as to contribute more intellectual property strength to advancing Chinese modernisation. He expressed the hope that participants would engage in in-depth exchanges and strengthen cooperation around the theme of the conference, contributing more wisdom and strength to promoting the high-quality development of the intellectual property cause during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Wu Wengang stated that Shaanxi has strong scientific and educational capabilities and has taken the lead nationwide in implementing the “three reforms” for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Taking innovation in the intellectual property system as a breakthrough point, it has vigorously implemented the “Lingxi Plan” for the transformation and utilisation of intellectual property, converting innovation potential into tangible development results. Looking towards the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Shaanxi will anchor itself to the goal of building a strong intellectual property province as a model for western China, translate General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and expositions on intellectual property into practical action, deeply integrate into the global innovation landscape with intellectual property as the link, cultivate new quality productive forces with foresight using intellectual property as the engine, and foster a first-class open innovation ecosystem with intellectual property as the cornerstone, contributing more Shaanxi strength to the building of a strong intellectual property country.

Wang Guoqiang stated that the shipbuilding industry is a real manufacturing sector characterised by concentrated innovation, knowledge intensity, technological integration and openness to the outside world. As a leader in the shipbuilding industry, China State Shipbuilding Corporation has consistently regarded intellectual property as a “booster” for scientific and technological innovation, a “moat” for industrial security and a “passport” for global operations, focusing on high-quality creation, high-benefit utilisation, high-level protection, high-quality and efficient management, and high-capability cultivation, and has achieved remarkable results. In future, the corporation will increase the effective supply of intellectual property, accelerate the improvement of the effectiveness of intellectual property application, speed up the release of the value of intellectual property data, and strengthen global learning and exchange, writing a new chapter of open cooperation and mutual benefit on the new journey of building a strong intellectual property country.

Antti Sakari Riivari stated that the Finnish Patent and Registration Office maintains a long-standing cooperative relationship with the China National Intellectual Property Administration, and that over many years the two sides have continued to optimise their cooperation model and exchange working experience. Intellectual property is used not only to protect innovation achievements but is also a tool for driving innovative development. The potential inherent in intellectual property protection mechanisms should be fully tapped so that the intellectual property system broadly benefits all parties involved in innovation, while intellectual property collaboration should be carried out efficiently, continuing to harness innovation achievements from around the world to advance human progress. He expressed confidence that innovation will flourish in China, Finland and around the world.

Carsten Fink stated that across successive five-year plans, China has unwaveringly increased investment in science, technology and innovation, worked to build a system of research capabilities, and strengthened the intellectual property system safeguards for transforming new knowledge into new products and technologies, playing a central role in China’s economic transformation and changing the basis on which Chinese enterprises compete. Chinese innovation is pushing forward the global technological frontier in an increasing number of fields, and countries around the world are increasingly benefiting from Chinese innovation. Looking ahead, there is every reason to expect that China’s innovation and intellectual property system will continue to remain vibrant.

A number of guests from relevant government departments, academia and the business community delivered keynote speeches. More than 8,000 people attended the conference, including heads of CNIPA departments and units, relevant officials of the Bureau of Science and Technology for Development of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, heads of intellectual property administration departments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, representatives of embassies and consulates in China and of relevant foreign institutions, representatives of domestic and foreign enterprises, and representatives of intellectual property service institutions.

Before the opening ceremony, Chinese and foreign guests together viewed the “15th Anniversary of the China Intellectual Property Annual Conference” theme wall and the matchmaking activities for patents, trade marks and geographical indications. This year’s conference features one main forum, 13 sub-forums and more than 20 concurrent activities, with participants exchanging views on hot topics such as the newly revised Trademark Law and the governance of intellectual property in artificial intelligence. The conference also holds concurrent activities such as roadshows and an intellectual property-themed reading space, providing a platform for the industry to showcase its latest achievements and deepen exchange and cooperation.

Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Top News; date of original: 8 September 2026; link to original: https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2026/9/8/art_53_208063.html