In the wave of globalized competition, intellectual property (IP) has become a core competitiveness for enterprises expanding overseas. Yuexiu District of Guangzhou, a core area of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and the commercial hub of Guangzhou, hosts 143 professional markets with nationwide reach and global linkages, as well as over 30,000 foreign trade enterprises. It serves as an important gateway for "Made in China" to go global, while also facing severe challenges such as high costs in overseas IP dispute resolution and enforcement.

Recently, it was reported that as one of China's first National Demonstration Counties for Building a Strong Intellectual Property County and a Pilot Zone for High-Quality Cluster Development of the National Intellectual Property Service Industry, Yuexiu District has leveraged its advantages in connecting resources across the Greater Bay Area. The district has comprehensively established a full-chain service system covering IP layout, early warning, rights protection, and utilization, providing strong support for foreign trade enterprises in exploring overseas markets and facilitating the transformation of "Yuexiu Manufacturing" into "Yuexiu Brands".

Establishing a "Two Stations, One Center, One Platform" Collaborative Service System

Centered on the Liuhua–Kuangquan apparel trading cluster—the largest foreign trade service and commodity distribution hub with national influence—Yuexiu District has developed China's first jointly built municipal-district  "Belt and Road" Overseas Intellectual Property Service Station for professional markets, as well as the Yulong Market Trademark Brand Cultivation and Guidance Station. It has introduced resources from the National Trademark Brand Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Guangzhou) Base and the Yuexiu District Intellectual Property Public Service Center, forming a three-tier service network of "platform coordination + service windows + extended stations".

This system focuses on key IP areas, addresses technical barriers to trade, and strengthens support for enterprises.

Yuexiu District has formulated operational guidelines and more than 10 service lists, handling over 32,000 cases of trademark registration, modification, and renewal. It provides foreign traders and overseas enterprises with one-stop services including international trademark search and clearance, overseas IP strategy consultation, Madrid international trademark application support, PCT patent filing guidance, risk early warning, and dispute response, covering regions such as the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States.

It is also reported that in 2025, the Guangzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation and Yuexiu District Government jointly launched a pilot project to build the Guangzhou "Belt and Road" Trade Comprehensive Service Platform. Led by the government and operated in a professional and entity-based manner, the platform aims to establish a comprehensive service system with both public credibility and market influence.

Innovative "Four-Dimensional Coordination" Mechanism

To address common challenges faced by enterprises going global—such as insufficient overseas IP portfolio planning, lack of familiarity with foreign IP rules, frequent disputes, and high enforcement costs—Yuexiu District has integrated resources from government bodies, professional institutions, universities, and public service organizations, establishing a collaborative mechanism featuring "government guidance, institutional services, enterprise participation, and think tank support".

The district has also launched the IP Discover International Trademark Intelligent Search and Management Platform. Relying on a dedicated trademark database, it provides enterprises with free Intellectual Property Diagnostic Reports, assisting in the establishment of risk screening and early warning mechanisms. More than 2,000 copies of the Overseas IP Rights Protection Assistance Guide and over 4,000 copies of IP standards materials have been distributed across 31 professional markets. In addition, the district jointly released the Guide to Intellectual Property Protection in African Countries, covering registration procedures, protection terms, and maintenance requirements for patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs across regional IP organizations and key jurisdictions.

Enhancing an "Ecosystem Empowerment" Framework

Yuexiu District has strengthened policy incentives by promoting municipal and district-level support policies for innovative entities, encouraging foreign trade enterprises to conduct trademark pledge financing, and providing up to RMB 500,000 in subsidies and incentives to IP service institutions engaged in foreign-related services.

The district also focuses on targeted enterprise cultivation by addressing the IP needs of companies expanding overseas. It provides strategic analysis of patent and trademark portfolios in key regions such as the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, and has assisted innovative entities such as Nanhua Technology in completing international trademark registration and overseas patent deployment.

In terms of financial support, Yuexiu District has implemented and promoted IP infringement liability insurance for cross-border e-commerce businesses to address TRO injunctions and related risks. Over the past three years, it has provided approximately RMB 25.52 million in risk protection for innovative entities and signed strategic cooperation agreements with insurance companies, building a dual-layer protection mechanism combining "insurance + services".

In frontier protection efforts, Yuexiu District proactively addresses emerging and complex IP challenges such as overseas exhibitions, cross-border e-commerce disputes, NPE litigation, trade secret infringement, and U.S. Section 337 investigations. In collaboration with the Guangdong Intellectual Property Protection Center, it has developed a response framework combining specialized enforcement teams, well-known trademark recognition strategies, and improved defensive systems, while organizing expert consultations to provide one-on-one professional guidance.

In 2025 alone, the district provided overseas dispute response guidance and other public welfare services to 164 enterprises, helping companies save RMB 600,000 in litigation costs and reduce market losses by RMB 4.8 million.