With the end of the national science and technology conference in Beijing yesterday, officials now face the uphill task of turning China into an innovation centre.
Improving protection for intellectual property and attracting new talent were just some of the challenges, experts said.
The Supreme People's Court has drafted a judicial interpretation of the unfair competition law to better address cases involving disclosure of trade secrets, which cover anything from manufacturing processes to client information.
Since China joined the World Trade Organisation, patents have been extended to 20 years from 15. But when it comes to suing those who infringe a patent, companies are only getting a fraction of the damages they ask for.
Douglas Clark, a partner at Lovells law firm who specialises in intellectual property in China, said average compensation was about 400,000 yuan.
'Probably, the big issue now is that damages are very low,' he said. 'It doesn't discourage people from infringing.'