To further deepen intellectual property (IP) exchange and cooperation between Beijing and Hong Kong, a delegation led by Mr. Alfred Sit Wing-hang, Director of the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, and Mr. Ken Shek Koon-wai, Assistant Director of IPD, visited Beijing from February 3 to 4. During the visit, the delegation held a series of meetings and exchange activities with Mr. Meng Bo, Director General of the Beijing Intellectual Property Office (BIPO), and Mr. Zhou Liquan, Deputy Director General of BIPO.

The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on IP creation, protection, commercialization, and utilization. Notably, the Hong Kong IP Enquiry Service Point was officially launched to provide outward-facing services, establishing an efficient and convenient cross-border service bridge for innovative entities in both regions. This marks a new phase of substantive and regularized cooperation in Beijing–Hong Kong IP collaboration.

Strengthening Coordinated Development and International IP Services

During the meeting, Mr. Meng Bo and Mr. Alfred Sit engaged in comprehensive discussions on coordinated IP development between Beijing and Hong Kong, outbound enterprise support services, cross-border IP transactions, and the cultivation of internationally oriented IP talent.

Mr. Meng noted that Beijing is accelerating the development of the Beijing (Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei) International Science and Technology Innovation Center and advancing its role as a model city in building China into a country strong in intellectual property. Demonstrating robust innovation vitality, Beijing had over 740,000 valid invention patents by the end of 2025. Leveraging the development opportunities presented by the “Two Zones” initiative, Beijing is committed to strengthening cooperation with Hong Kong in areas such as IP talent training, sharing of professional service resources, and safeguarding enterprises in their global expansion.

Mr. Alfred Sit emphasized that Hong Kong, as a regional IP trading center, benefits from its internationalized legal framework and professional services ecosystem, and is increasingly serving as a vital gateway connecting Mainland enterprises to global IP markets. Hong Kong is currently advancing innovative initiatives such as the IP Financing Sandbox to unlock and realize the commercial value of IP assets for technology enterprises. He expressed expectations to work closely with Beijing to facilitate the circulation of innovative achievements in broader markets and to support high-quality development in both regions.

Deepening Cooperation in IP Protection and IP Finance

Deputy Director General Zhou Liquan and Assistant Director Ken Shek held further discussions focusing on IP protection, commercialization and industrialization of IP, and IP finance. The Hong Kong delegation also engaged with leading IP service institutions in Beijing to gain detailed insights into best practices and notable achievements in IP pledge financing and risk control, IP transactions, and IP securitization.

Launch of the Hong Kong IP Enquiry Service Point

Subsequently, BIPO and the Hong Kong IPD jointly organized a training session at the Beijing (Zhongguancun) International IP Service Hall for the Hong Kong IP Enquiry Service Point. Experts from the Hong Kong IPD provided professional guidance on core areas including Hong Kong trademark registration, patent prosecution, and design protection.

Following the training session, the Hong Kong IP Enquiry Service Point officially commenced external services. As an important initiative promoting interconnectivity between the Mainland and Hong Kong public IP service systems, the launch of the Enquiry Service Point is expected to further enhance coordinated IP services between the two regions and provide robust support for enterprises pursuing international development.

Looking Ahead

Moving forward, BIPO and the Hong Kong IPD will continue to implement the Beijing–Hong Kong Memorandum of Understanding on IP Cooperation. Both sides will expand the breadth and depth of collaboration in areas including professional training, resource sharing, industrial promotion, and talent cultivation. By jointly addressing emerging global IP trends, the two authorities aim to contribute further to deepened economic and technological cooperation between Beijing and Hong Kong.