A view of Wangjing SOHO at dusk in Beijing Photo: VCG

China retained its 14th place on the Global Innovation Index (GII) for 2020, remaining the only middle-income economy in the top 30 of the index dominated by developed economies, despite being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and targeted by a relentless US crackdown on its technology. 

Switzerland topped the list again this year, followed by Sweden and the US, according to the index released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on Wednesday. 

"China has established itself as an innovation leader, with high ranks in important metrics including patents, utility models, trademarks, industrial designs, and creative goods exports," a press release on the index said.

China boasts 17 of the top science and technology clusters worldwide - with Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou and Beijing in the 2nd and 4th spots respectively, according to the index.

The new ranking came as the world continues to grapple with profound disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The index said that the pandemic was "severely pressuring a long-building rise in worldwide innovation, likely hindering some innovative activities while catalyzing ingenuity elsewhere, notably in the health sector."

China has effectively and quickly reined in the outbreak and continues to push forward reforms and opening that aims to bolster its technological and innovation capabilities. 

China's unchanged status on the GII ranking also shows that China's innovation capabilities has not been deterred by an ever-escalating campaign by the US government's crackdown on Chinese tech companies such as Huawei and TikTok, in what Chinese officials and experts call an ill-fated attempt to contain China's rise and preserve US hegemony.

Also noticeable on this year's GII was that China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) moved up to 11th place this year from 13th in 2019, despite persistent smearing by some Western officials led by the US as the city moved to address social unrest and national security issues this year.