BEIJING — China saw rapid growth of invention patent applications from abroad in 2018, according to the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) on Jan 10.

There were 148,000 foreign invention patent applications in China in 2018, rising 9.1 percent year on year. And the foreign trademark registration applications were 244,000, up 16.5 percent.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China ranked top in the number of foreign residents trademark registration applications in 2017, and second in the number of foreign resident invention patent applications.

The number of applications for intellectual property rights (IPR) from foreign residents was the indicator of the country’s IPR protection level and business environment, said Bi Nan, an official with the NIPA. China provided an effective guarantee for the IPR of foreign enterprises in China, as well as boosting the technical exchange and cooperation.