IP in the new Five-Year Plan

The new Chinese Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) reveals China’s strategic intention to establish IP not only as a legal instrument, but also as a fundamental pillar of technological sovereignty and economic competitiveness. The plan aims to transform China from a user of IP systems to a leading designer and beneficiary. To this end, IP legal protection… Continue reading IP in the new Five-Year Plan

China’s global AI strategy

The global race for AI supremacy is in full swing. The Chinese government recently published the Global AI Governance Action Plan and at the same time presented drafts for ethical AI rules and labelling requirements for AI-generated content — a clear signal of the strategic shift from pure development to global regulation and standard setting.… Continue reading China’s global AI strategy

Counterfeit Hub Hainan

At the end of 2025, China will fully open Hainan to free trade – a radically liberalized economic zone without traditional customs controls, with simplified compliance, open data flows, and tax breaks. What at first glance appears to be a strategic modernization raises serious questions from a European perspective, however, particularly with regard to intellectual… Continue reading Counterfeit Hub Hainan

The launch of digital identity

On July 15, 2025, China officially introduced digital identities (digital IDs) – a centralized, state-controlled system for authenticating individuals online. The National Cyber ID Authentication consists of a combination of numbers and letters and is mandatory for using many online services. To register, citizens must upload their identity documents, have their face scanned, and provide… Continue reading The launch of digital identity

Chinese offensive in Europe: Focus on IP and IT

The Allianz Trade Global Survey 2025 clearly shows that Chinese companies are strategically reorienting themselves as a result of the escalating trade conflict with the US and are increasingly turning their attention to Europe. Since American Liberation Day on April 2, 2025, not a single Chinese company with existing supply chains in North America has… Continue reading Chinese offensive in Europe: Focus on IP and IT

New Regulations for Data Audits

On February 14, 2025, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) published the Administrative Measures for Compliance Audits on the Protection of Personal Data, which will come into effect on May 1, 2025. The new regulations apply to all companies in China that process personal data and define clear requirements regarding the frequency of self-assessments as… Continue reading New Regulations for Data Audits

Chinese AI Oversupply

China’s tech industry is currently experiencing an unprecedented investment boom in the field of artificial intelligence, triggered by the use of the advanced model DeepSeek. Xiaomi plans to invest over RMB 7 billion in AI innovation and China Unicom announced RMB 55 billion of investment, with a significant proportion going to AI-driven telecommunications infrastructure modernization.… Continue reading Chinese AI Oversupply

Outflow of Intellectual Capital from China

The business model has been highly profitable: foreign companies invest in China, take advantage of its low-cost resources, and then export their products worldwide with attractive margins. In the eyes of the Chinese government, a similar pattern is now emerging in research and development—foreign companies are tapping into China’s knowledge resources through their R&D centers… Continue reading Outflow of Intellectual Capital from China

Labeling Requirements for AI-Generated Content

The Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the National Radio and Television Administration have jointly issued new regulations introducing mandatory labeling for AI-generated content. These measures will take effect on September 1, 2025, and require platforms to clearly mark content created by AI systems.… Continue reading Labeling Requirements for AI-Generated Content

China’s New IP Regulation

China has issued a State Council regulation on the handling of foreign-related disputes in the field of intellectual property (IP), providing a framework for managing such disputes. With this new regulation, China has created a markedly more protectionist legal environment that goes far beyond traditional issues of industrial property rights. The regulation explicitly defines IP… Continue reading China’s New IP Regulation