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Technology

China beats US in patent filings for second straight year

Japan remains third while South Korea nabs the fourth spot from Germany

People visit a booth during a Huawei event in Shanghai, China. The telecom gear maker is the world's top patent filer. 

VIENNA -- China has captured the top spot in 2020 among international patent applications for the second consecutive year, a United Nations ranking released Tuesday shows, demonstrating once again how Asia is leading the tech innovation in the new normal.

Chinese applicants submitted 68,720 patent requests last year, up 16% from 2019 despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). China's Huawei Technologies, the world's leading telecommunications equipment manufacturer, remained the top applicant for the fourth straight year.

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