China claims more patents than any country, but most are worthless

China overtook Japan eight years ago to become the biggest hoarder of domestic patents and has remained in the lead ever since, approving 1.8 million last year alone

For nearly a decade, China has taken great pride at filing the largest number of domestic patents. It’s proving less keen on keeping them.
 
Despite huge numbers of filings, most patents are discarded by their fifth year as licensees balk at paying escalating fees. When it comes to design, more than nine out of every ten lapses — almost the mirror opposite of the US.
 
The high attrition rate is a symptom of the way China has pushed universities, companies and backyard inventors to transform the country into a self-sufficient powerhouse. Subsidies and other incentives are geared toward