In what was yet another record year for global patent filing, China remains atop the global patent filing standings.
The World Intellectual Property Organization reported that in 2024 global patent applications surpassed the 3.7 million mark for the first time; China was responsible for 1.8 million of those up 9 percent from 2023, with the United States (603,194), Japan (306,855), South Korea (246,245) and the European Patent Office (199,402) trailing by significant numbers.
China was responsible for 1.64 million patent applications in 2023, covering both domestic and foreign jurisdictions.
“China’s global leadership in patent filings resulted from sustained national innovation strategies, optimized innovation ecosystems, and accelerated industrial upgrading,” said Peng Wang, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, speaking to the Global Times. “These three factors work in synergy, driving systemic progress in science and technology.”
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China issued about 124,000 more patents in 2024 than it did in 2023, a figure 27 times higher than the growth in patents issued by the United States. Each year since 2015, China’s IP office has issued the highest number of patents globally, surpassing the U.S., according to the report. “China has evolved from a mere technology recipient to a key player in the global innovation landscape,” said Wang.
China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that China’s total social investment in research and development exceeded Rmb3.6 trillion yuan (US$505.6 billion) in 2024, rising 8.3 percent year-on-year and achieving stable growth. Preliminary estimates indicate that China's R&D intensity reached 2.68 percent in 2024, the Global Times reported.
Data released by China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) shows that in addition to the 1.8 million invention patent applications filed, there were also 3.2 utility model applications and 819,213 industrial design applications filed in China in 2024. While the number of invention patent applications and grants have risen steadily each year, in early 2025, invention patent grants faced a steep decline. Annual utility model grants have dropped regularly since reaching a peak of 3.1 million grants in 2021 to 2.0 million grants in 2024, a number which continued to drop in the first half of 2025.
As China’s participation in international patent, trademark and, indeed, other forms of intellectual property, continue to increase at a staggering rate, it is no surprise that we have seen a commensurate increase in top-flight IP work being done there. Asia IP asked a large number of professionals – mostly in-house counsel and corporate legal managers – what they were looking for from their legal service providers. From their answers, we have compiled our list of China’s 100 IP Experts, those lawyers who understand just what their clients need and are able to provide them with the best practical advice.
Top-notch individuals are easy to come by in Beijing, Shanghai and in the Greater Bay Area, which includes mainland cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, and are increasingly easy to come by in other regions of the country, as well. While a few large, traditional firms continue to place multiple lawyers on our list, they are increasingly challenged by smaller upstarts, which are often formed by alumni of the older firms, blending the traditions of those firms with a fresher outlook and a, perhaps, more innovative, nimble approach.
Unitalen Attorneys at Law led the list, placing five lawyers in our Top 100. CCPIT Patent & Trademark Law Office; Liu, Shen & Associates; Lung Tin Intellectual Property Agent; and NTD Intellectual Property Attorneys each placed four on the list.
Five firms had three lawyers on the list: Beijing Uni-intel Patent and Trademark Law Firm, Fairsky Law Office, GoldenGate Lawyers, IntellecPro and King & Wood Mallesons.
No other firm placed more than two lawyers on the list, tallying up an impressive total of 54 different law firms represented on our list, demonstrating clearly that while the largest firms might still remain in the lead, that lead may not be as large as they think it is. The upstarts are hot on their heels.
Most of the lawyers named to our list have multiple practice specialties. Many of them are litigators, while others concentrate on prosecution work or provide strategic advice.
All of them have something in common: they are experts in their fields and, in one way or another, they provide extra value for their clients. They are Asia IP’s China IP Experts. – GREGORY GLASS
