China Becomes World's Largest Holder of AI Patents

The 57th Statistical Report on China's Internet Development, released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), shows that as of December 2025, the number of generative AI users in China reached 602 million, a year-on-year increase of 141.7% compared to late 2024. The penetration rate rose to 42.8%, up 25.2 percentage points year-on-year, marking the accelerated integration of AI technology into social production and daily life.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country's AI industry has achieved leapfrog development. In 2025, the number of AI enterprises exceeded 6,000, with the core industry scale estimated to reach 1.2 trillion yuan. Intelligent computing power surpassed 1590 EFLOPS, providing solid computational support for AI applications.

In the field of fundamental research, China continues to lead globally. Data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2025 indicates that China accounts for 60% of global AI patent applications, firmly ranking first in the world. A total of 538 generative AI services have completed registration, covering scenarios such as intelligent search and industrial manufacturing.

"AI technology is moving from laboratories to the public, and the explosive growth in user numbers confirms the achievements in technology popularization," said experts. They emphasized the need to further unlock the potential of data elements, promote the deep integration of "AI+" with the real economy, and inject new momentum into high-quality development.