China authorized 30 percent more patents in 2007 as compared with 2006, according to the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) on Monday.

In 2007, China authorized 351,782 patents, up 31.3 percent over the previous year, SIPO statistics showed.

Patent applications for new invention and new technology reached 67,948 and 150,036, respectively, SIPO statistics revealed.

The total number of domestic applications for patents exceeded that of the foreign applications, the SIPO said.

The total domestic applications reached 301,632, up 34.7 percent and foreign applications reached 50,150, up 13.6 percent, it added.

The increase rate of domestic applications for new inventions in 2007 was 17 percent higher than that of foreign application, said the source.

Among the total applications for invention, the domestic applications rose 27.4 percent and the foreign applications increased 10.1 percent.

"This shows China's innovation capability has been upgraded," it said.

By the end of 2007, China had authorized 2.089 million patents, including 1.79 million domestic patents and 299,000 foreign patents.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2008)