DALIAN, Oct. 14 -- China's digital transformation has been supported by patent growth in the industry, said the country's intellectual property (IP) regulator on Saturday.

The number of granted invention patents in the core sectors of China's digital economy has grown at an annual average rate of 18 percent from 2016 to 2022, and the total number of valid invention patents in these sectors reached 1.6 million by the end of 2022, said Shen Changyu, head of the National Intellectual Property Administration. It accounted for 38 percent of the country's patent volume.

Shen revealed the data at the 13th China International Patent Fair in Dalian, Liaoning Province.

China has stepped up efforts to build a better patent system, instrumental in contributing to the digital transformation, said Shen, who highlighted improved patent examination rules for new technologies such as the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence.

China's digital economy has won international recognition, too. During his speech via video link, Daren Tang, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, noted that China's economy has transformed into one of the world's most powerful engines of innovation, creativity, and technology.

"China has grown to become a leading exporter of creative goods from the developing world, and IP plays an important part of this growth story," Tang added.