China has eclipsed global rivals in clean energy innovation, filing more than twice as many high-quality patents as the U.S. in 2022 and transforming from a technology imitator into a dominant inventor.
Max Bearak and Mira Rojanasakul report for The New York Times.
In short:
- China filed over 5,000 internationally competitive clean energy patents in 2022, up from just 18 in 2000, according to data from the European Patent Office.
- A government-led strategy, including the "Made in China 2025" initiative, poured subsidies into key sectors like batteries and solar, spurring a wave of patents and domestic competition.
- Chinese firms like BYD and CATL now lead global EV and battery markets, thanks to breakthroughs that improved performance, safety, and cost compared to earlier Western designs.
Key quote:
“ ... China has gone from being an imitator to an innovator.”
— Yann Ménière, chief economist at the European Patent Office
Why this matters:
The global shift to clean energy is becoming increasingly reliant on China, whose companies now drive much of the innovation powering solar panels, electric vehicles, and battery technologies. This dominance follows decades of strategic investment, research expansion, and state-backed industrial policy. The country’s rise poses a geopolitical challenge: Many nations committed to phasing out fossil fuels now depend on Chinese supply chains and technologies to meet climate goals. Meanwhile, China is tightening export controls on key clean tech, raising concerns about access and global competition. If other countries fall further behind, they risk not only economic disadvantage but slower progress toward environmental targets, including emissions reductions vital for public health and planetary stability.
Read more: How China raced ahead on clean energy while America clung to oil
