Researchers test the performance of Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) imaging circuits at a laboratory of the Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Hefei, Anhui province on April 18, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING — China will continue cooperating with other countries and international organizations to strengthen the construction of the international scientific research environment, a Ministry of Science and Technology official said on Thursday.

China stands ready to participate in addressing major global challenges and strengthening the application, management and protection of intellectual property rights, as well as related innovation, Vice-Minister of Science and Technology Zhang Guangjun said in a video speech during a high-level roundtable on the top science and technology clusters in 2023.

The GII ranks the top-level innovative capacities of countries and economies around the world every year, and its sci-tech clusters rankings identify local concentrations 

According to the 2023 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII) released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China now has 24 sci-tech clusters, up from 21 last year and making China the country with the greatest number of such clusters.

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Sci-tech clusters are established through the analysis of patent-filing activity and scientific article publication, documenting the geographical areas around the world with the highest density of inventors and scientific authors, according to the WIPO.

The GII ranks the top-level innovative capacities of countries and economies around the world every year, and its sci-tech clusters rankings identify local concentrations of world-leading sci-tech activity.

China has shown remarkable progress in innovation since joining the GII in 2013 at an initial ranking of 35th. Every year since, the country has steadily climbed the rankings. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, China ranked 14th, 12th and 11th, respectively, demonstrating its continuous upward trajectory in global innovation.

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China has established sci-tech cooperation with more than 160 countries and regions. Its total expenditure on research and development (R&D) exceeded 3 trillion yuan (about $418.2 billion) in 2022, up 10.1 percent year-on-year.