On March 13, 2026, China published the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划纲要), which runs from 2026 to 2030. China’s 5-Year Plans (FYP) are strategic blueprints that set foundational policy, economic, and social development goals. They coordinate national priorities—including technological innovation, industrial upgrades, green energy, and national security—to guide economic growth and structural reforms over five-year periods.
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China’s ‘Two Sessions’ – IP Excerpts from China’s Work Report
On March 5, 2026, Premier Li Qiang delivered the Government Work Report to the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress (part of the ‘Two Sessions’), reviewing 2025 and outlining the policy direction for China in 2026. China has made excerpts from the Work Report available online (李强作的政府工作报告(摘登)), which included several references to intellectual property. The Report noted that total R&D expenditure continued growing at an average annual rate of 10%, the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 …
CNIPA June 2025 Press Conference: Central Rectification of 35 Firms with Large Number of ‘Abnormal’ Patent Applications; Explore Use of AI in Patent Examination
On June 27, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) held their monthly press conference. Two highlights include the status of the “Blue Sky” patent agency rectification campaign and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in patent examination. CNIPA stated that it imposed “centralized rectification of 35 institutions that have been found to have a large number of abnormal applications, and intends to impose heavy penalties such as suspension of business and license revocation.” With respect to AI, CNIPA stated, …
China’s National People’s Congress Passes Amended Anti-Unfair Competition Law
On June 27, 2025, China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) passed the newly amended Anti-Unfair Competition Law (中华人民共和国反不正当竞争法). The amended Anti-Unfair Competition Law (AUCL) will be effective October 15, 2025. While China is not a common law country, Article 7 of the AUCL nonetheless provides common law-like protection for unregistered marks that have a “certain influence.” Article 7 is updated to prohibit the use of others’ trademarks as business names or search keywords. However, this revision does not address much needed …
