China is becoming a superpower of innovation and Beijing has set an agenda to double the number of Chinese patent applications in the next five years.The number of patent applications is expected to reach 14 per 10,000 habitants by 2020, compared with six this year and four in 2013. Improving the country's agricultural technologies, especially in grain production, is a major priority during the period, along with having more globally competitive enterprises with overseas patents. The announcement comes after the easing of curbs on importing genetically-modified corn from the United States, with the two countries reaching an agreement in trade talks last month that would lift a ban on certain varieties of genetically modified organisms, which had been approved by the US but not by China. The number of Chinese patent applications rose 26.4 per cent in 2013, representing more than 32 per cent of global submissions. In contrast, Japan and Europe posted a decline for the same period. At this regard, the director general of WIPO, Francis Gurry said China was on a journey to becoming "created in China" from "made in China". The gLawcal Team LIBEAC project (Source: Asia IP Law)