On October 23, 2026, four Chinese government bodies – the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the State Taxation Administration, and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) – jointly issued a notice titled “Notice on Further Preventing the Influence of Unscrupulous Intermediary Agencies on the Cultivation and Certification of High-Quality SMEs” (工信厅联企业〔2026〕40号, dated October 13, 2026). The notice addresses the involvement of third-party intermediary agencies in assisting companies with preparation of application …
China’s Ministry of Commerce Releases Draft Provisions Targeting Foreign Entities Over Trade Secret Infringement
On October 26, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) released the Special Provisions on Protecting China’s Trade Secrets (Draft for Comment) (保护中国商业秘密特别规定（征求意见稿）). Despite its title, the Draft does not address general trade secret protection. It is a sanctions-style mechanism aimed at foreign companies, organizations, and individuals: where MOFCOM determines that a foreign entity’s infringement of a Chinese trade secret endangers, or poses an actual threat to, China’s national sovereignty, security, or development interests, MOFCOM may impose trade, investment, entry, residency, …
China Holds 10th Place in the Global Innovation Index 2026 for a Second Year, and Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou Remains the Top-Ranked Innovation Cluster
The Global Innovation Index (GII), published September 29, 2026 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ranks economies by innovation performance using indicators of innovation inputs and outputs. It also ranks the world’s top 100 innovation clusters and tracks global innovation trends. In the 2026 edition, which covers 139 economies, China ranks 10th. China held the same position in GII 2025, when it entered the top 10 for the first time. In both editions, China is the only middle-income economy …
China Issues “Opinions on Promoting the Deep Integration of Technological Innovation and Industrial Innovation,” Addressing IP Reform and AI
The General Offices of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the State Council issued the “Opinions on Promoting the Deep Integration of Technological Innovation and Industrial Innovation” (关于推动科技创新和产业创新深度融合的意见) on October 21, 2026, as reported by Xinhua and others. The Opinions address intellectual property reform within China’s broader strategy to convert scientific research into industrial capability, with artificial intelligence named as a priority application domain.