China’s telecoms giant Huawei filed the world’s most international patent applications last year, with a record number of 5,405, the World Intellectual Propensity Organization (WIPO) announced on Wednesday.

"It’s an all-time record by anyone," WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said at a news conference.

With six out of the top 10 applicators from Asia, China’s ZTE ranks the 5th on the list after filling 2,404 patent applications in total , a 29.8 percent drop compared to its top position in 2016.

“Asia is now the majority filer of international patent applications via WIPO, which is an important milestone for that economically dynamic region and underscores the historical geographical shift of innovative activity from the West to the East,” Gurry said.

According to the list, US-based inventors filed the greatest number of PCT patent applications in 2018, trailed closely by China, which is expected to surpass the US within the next two years based on current trends.

The WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 191 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society's evolving needs.