China has received more than one million patent applications since the first patent was approved in 1985, the state's top intellectual property official announced in Beijing on January 17.

Since the adoption of the patent law in 1985, China has made great achievements in legislation, application, protection, publicity, information spreading, staff training and international exchange in the patent field, said Jiang Ying, administrator of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).

"China's patent system has further improved with the steady building and improvement of the socialist market economic structure. Applicants at home and abroad have increased their confidence in China's patent system," Jiang said at a press conference held by SIPO.

China received 134,240 patent applications in 1999, with an increase of 10 percent over 1998.

"China urgently needs the patent system in its reform and opening up and development of the system will play a greater role in the country's economic development in the future," Jiang said.

After joining the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1980, China signed a series of international covenants and conventions governing the patent mechanism.

China is also considering making some changes in the present patent law this year after the first law revision in 1992.

"The intellectual property protection system will have an important bearing on the overall quality of China's national economy and its competitive edge on the international market," Jiang said.