World patent invention

    ZTE Corp., a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions based in Shenzhen, leapfrogged* Japan’s Panasonic onto the top of the world invention patent list in 2011, according to statistics released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

    China saw a 33.4 percent increase of patent applications last year compared with 2010, the biggest yearly increase among countries.     

    Luxury watches buyer

    China has the biggest demand for luxury watches, giving Asia-driven brands such as Swatch Group’s Omega and Longines a tailwind* against a slowdown in Europe this year.

    For the first time China surpassed the United States to exhibit the highest demand for luxury watches, representing 23 percent of all watch-related searches, according to a report presented by the research firm Digital Luxury Group.    

    Drinks tycoon

    Zong Qinghou, a 67-year-old founder and CEO of Hangzhou-based Wahaha, a soft drinks company, was named the richest person on the Chinese mainland with a wealth of US$10.5 billion according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2012.

    The beverage tycoon ranks 78th on the list, and is the only mainlander to have amassed a fortune of more than US$10 billion, replacing last year’s champion on the mainland, heavy machinery mogul* Liang Wengen, founder of the Sany Group.     

    World’s biggest 3D LCD

    A Shenzhen company released its 110-inch, full high-definition, three-dimensional and liquid crystal display screen in Beijing on March 10, introducing what is heralded* as the world’s largest such screen by a wide margin.

    The massive 3D displayer will be presented in the Great Hall of the People. China Star’s creation marks significant progress in China’s display panel development and places CSOT at the forefront of super-size display panel technology in China.

    (SD-Agencies)