---
title: "Fact of the Week: Chinese Patents in Several Critical Technologies Are Closer to the Scientific Frontier Than Their US Competitors"
summary: |-
  Just four percent of Chinese critical technology patents were filed by state-owned enterprises or the government, while more than half were filed by private firms. Another 27 percent were filed by universities. In comparison, only 3.3 percent of all critical technology patents in the United States were filed by universities.
date: "2026-08-10"
issues: ["National Competitiveness", "Science and R&D"]
authors: ["Meghan Ostertag"]
content_type: "Blogs"
canonical_url: "https://itif.org/publications/2026/08/10/chinese-patents-several-critical-technologies-closer-scientific-frontier-us-competitors/"
---

# Fact of the Week: Chinese Patents in Several Critical Technologies Are Closer to the Scientific Frontier Than Their US Competitors

**Source:** Josh Lerner, et al., [“Chinese Sputnik Moments?”](https://www.nber.org/papers/w35551) (working paper 35551, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 2026).

**Commentary: **China’s rapid rise to technological leadership and innovation has been viewed by many policymakers and experts throughout the 21st century as more of a façade than reality. Experts believed that traditional innovation indicators, such as the number of patents granted, were inadequate in measuring China’s innovativeness, as evidence suggested that state-supported scientists were incentivized to submit patent applications. However, there is now evidence to suggest the contrary. For one, just four percent of Chinese critical technology patents were filed by state-owned enterprises or the government, while more than half were filed by private firms. Another 27 percent were filed by universities. In comparison, only 3.3 percent of all critical technology patents in the United States were filed by universities. The quality of the patents filed in China is also much higher than initially realized. In almost all critical technologies, Chinese patents gained textual importance relative to U.S. patents from 2006 to 2021. Today, Chinese patents in several critical technologies are closer to the scientific frontier than their U.S. competitors.

---
*Source: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)*
*URL: https://itif.org/publications/2026/08/10/chinese-patents-several-critical-technologies-closer-scientific-frontier-us-competitors/*