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China has signed intellectual property (IP) cooperation agreements with 57 Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, continually deepening bilateral cooperation with them, an official of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) said at a monthly press conference on Wednesday.

"The CNIPA has continued to deepen IP cooperation under the BRI to support its high-quality development. These efforts have delivered positive outcomes," Sheng Li, deputy director of the CNIPA's International Cooperation Department, said at the conference.

From 2013 to 2023, BRI partner countries filed a total of 285,000 patent applications in China, with an average annual growth rate of 5.6 percent, CNIPA data showed.

Chinese companies filed a total of 70,000 patent applications and received 35,000 patent grants in BRI partner countries and related organizations, maintaining an average annual growth rate of more than 20 percent.

The momentum for growth of digital patents for Belt and Road cooperation has remained strong. From 2013 to 2023, Chinese applicants secured 27,000 invention patents in core digital economy industries from BRI partner countries and related organizations, achieving an average annual growth rate of 16.9 percent.

"IP is a standard component of international trade and a key aspect of institutional openness," Sheng said, adding that the CNIPA has been coordinating international cooperation and competition in the field of IP protection, strengthening efforts to protect IP internationally and working to create a favorable external environment for China's high-quality development.

China is committed to offering equal protection for the IP of both domestic and foreign enterprises. The country has established a regular communication mechanism for foreign-invested companies to promptly address their concerns and issues. This approach aims to attract more foreign investment, allowing these companies to benefit from China's development opportunities and the colossal market, Sheng noted.