China has broken into the world's top 10 for innovation for the first time, ranking 10th in the World Intellectual Property Organization's 2025 Global Innovation Index, up one place from last year.

The index covers 139 economies and evaluates them using 78 indicators, from R&D investment and patent filings to high-technology exports and innovation outputs. WIPO said China's rise reflects its strengths in research spending, innovation outputs and high-tech exports.

China continues to lead all middle-income economies globally. Within the "South East Asia, East Asia and Oceania" group, it scored strongly in infrastructure, innovation outputs and R&D.

But the report also flagged warning signs. While technology adoption and the impact of innovation remain positive, growth in R&D investment and venture capital activity has begun to slow.