China Intensifies Trade Secret Protection with 383 Cases Investigated

China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has handled 383 cases involving trade secret infringement since 2024, officials announced at a press briefing in Beijing. Following the rollout of targeted department-level regulations in February, authorities are utilizing administrative enforcement tools to resolve longstanding hurdles in evidence collection and case establishment. The agency highlighted protections for foreign-invested firms in regions such as Shanghai and Jiangsu while preparing new guidelines to bolster industrial innovation.

As technological cycles accelerate and corporate ties deepen, trade secrets have become central to intellectual property strategy. Clearer administrative enforcement reduces litigation burdens for businesses, curbs unfair competition, and reinforces both domestic and multinational confidence in China's innovation ecosystem.

China's market supervision authorities have investigated 383 trade secret infringement cases since 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) disclosed during a press conference in Beijing. Yao Lei, director general of SAMR's Price Supervision, Inspection and Anti-Unfair Competition Bureau, characterized trade secrets as a specialized form of intellectual property encompassing technical and business information that holds commercial value, remains unknown to the public, and is subject to confidentiality measures. Yao emphasized that robust protection is foundational to safeguarding industrial security, driving strategic innovation, and cultivating a fair, law-based business environment. To address practical barriers, SAMR promulgated the "Provisions on the Protection of Trade Secrets" in February. The department-level rules define infringement scenarios, clarify the legal foundation of protected information, and introduce administrative measures designed to ease persistent difficulties in obtaining evidence, registering cases, and establishing liability. Regulatory authorities highlighted administrative actions in regional hubs such as Shanghai and Jiangsu, noting that the enforcement actions protected the legitimate rights of foreign-invested enterprises operating in China. Regulators emphasized a strategy of using high-profile cases to generate broader deterrent and educational effects across industries. The agency also supported legislative revisions to the Anti-Unfair Competition Law—updated in 2017, 2019, and 2025—which increased penalties for intellectual property theft. In June, SAMR held its fourth annual service month aimed at raising corporate compliance and protection capabilities. During the initiative, local market regulators conducted 1,514 training sessions for approximately 27,000 enterprises, held 2,196 administrative guidance symposia with roughly 16,000 businesses, and resolved 1,319 corporate appeals and compliance challenges.