China becomes largest holder of AI patents globally

(ECNS) -- China has become the largest holder of artificial intelligence (AI) patents globally, with over 5,000 enterprises engaging in the field and over 40,000 smart factories, official data showed.

China's AI industry has experienced rapid development in recent years, establishing 11 national AI innovation application pilot zones and 17 national intelligent connected vehicle test demonstration zones, according to the statistics published during the World Smart Industry Expo 2025 held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

China has continued to achieve breakthroughs in key core technologies such as AI chips and algorithm frameworks. Domestically developed open-source large models are leading the global open-source innovation ecosystem, while the scale and level of computing infrastructure rank among the top globally, said an official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) at the expo.

Currently, China has more than 400 national-level "little giant" enterprises, which are the top performers among specialized, high-end and innovation-driven SMEs that provide distinctive products or services. China has also established over 35,000 foundational, more than 6,300 advanced, and over 230 exemplary smart factories, according to data released by the MIIT.

China's AI market size is expected to exceed 700 billion yuan (about $98.18 billion) by the end of 2025 and the scale is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan by 2030, which will drive the scale of related industries to surpass 10 trillion yuan, according to the ministry.

(By Zhang Dongfang)