China has seen a rapid growth of patents concerning artificial intelligence, with endeavors to promote innovation in the digital economy, Ge Shu, an official from the China Intellectual Property Administration, the country's top IP regulator, said on Monday.

Ge told a news conference that by the end of last year, the number of valid AI-related invention patents in China reached 378,000, a year-on-year growth rate of more than 40 percent and also 1.4 times the global average growth rate.

By December 2023, 155,000 domestic enterprises held invention patents related to the digital economy, an increase of 31,000 over the previous year, he said, adding that "the creativity vitality is getting stronger in the AI field".

At the same time, China also witnessed foreign innovators strengthen their patent layout involving the core industries of the digital economy in the country, he said.

By the end of 2023, a total of 93 countries and regions held valid invention patents regarding the core fields of digital economy in China, of which, 61.8 percent involved digital product manufacturing industry, he added.

"We've always upheld the principle of equally protecting every entity, whether it's domestic or foreign, in an effort to create a sound business environment with fair competition for them and better help these innovators deal with IP-related difficulties," said Hu Wenhui, deputy head of the administration.

He revealed that over 5,000 foreign and joint-venture enterprises have registered at 115 IP protection centers across the country, meaning "they can enjoy the same IP-related services as domestic innovators through quick channels."

In addition, since the beginning of last year, the administration has helped enterprises from many countries, including the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Thailand and Denmark, successfully solve IP-related disputes in China, "which was highly praised by those foreign entities," he said.

To learn more about the problems and needs of foreign enterprises, the administration has also established a regular communication system for them, striving to make them feel safe to operate and dare to invest in China, he said.

Data released on Monday showed that by the end of June, the number of valid foreign invention patents and valid registered trademarks in China has reached 919,000 and 2.13 million, respectively, up 3.9 percent and 3.8 percent, when compared to the previous year.

"The figures demonstrate that foreign enterprises have attached great importance to our market, and have full confidence in our IP protection," Hu added.