China Economic Information Service (CEIS, affiliated with Xinhua News Agency):

China's patent-intensive industries have made relatively fast progress against the backdrop of COVID-19. Could you elaborate on their features and current status based on the just-released data?

Hu Wenhui: 

Thank you for your question. I'd like to invite Mr. Ge Shu to answer.

Ge Shu: 

Thank you for your question. Globally, patent-intensive industries, featuring outstanding innovative capacity and strong market competitiveness, have provided strong support for high-quality socio-economic development in innovation-oriented countries. Cultivating and expanding these industries is a significant measure to push forward the integration of intellectual property into innovative development and promote high-quality economic development.

In order to better monitor the growth of patent-intensive industries, the NIPA and the National Bureau of Statistics jointly established a mechanism for the accounting and release of the added value for these industries. Statistical data shows that the growth characteristics of patent-intensive industries are as follows:

First, patent-intensive industries have strongly driven China's economic growth. Data released by Mr. Hu just now shows that China's overall added value of these industries exceeded 12 trillion yuan, up 5.8% year on year (without deducting the price factors), contributing 24.6% to GDP growth. Its proportion in GDP rose 0.35 percentage point compared with last year.

Second, patent-intensive industries show a strong capacity for risk resistance and robust resilience in development. In spite of the big socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the added value of the information and communication technology service industry, medical and pharmaceutical industry, as well as R&D, design and technology service industry rose 15.7%, 10.1% and 5.9% respectively year on year, becoming new engines of growth.

Third, patent-intensive industries boast strong innovative capacity and rapid growth in patent reserve. The authorized invention patents in the information and communication technology service industry and medical and pharmaceutical industry increased around 50% year on year. The fast growth of patent reserves in digital economy and medical sectors, among others, has strongly supported the rapid development of relevant industries.

The 14th Five-Year Plan for Protection and Application of Intellectual Property Rights proposed the task of cultivating patent-intensive industries. By the end of 2025, the added value of patent-intensive industries is expected to account for 13% of GDP. Next, with focus on the implementation of the task, the CNIPA will continue to cultivate and expand patent-intensive industries and push forward the deep integration of intellectual property with industries, thus promoting the transformation of intellectual property into real productivity and reinforcing the new engines of high-quality economic development. Thank you.