Proprietary intellectual property has become a driving force in China's growth, according to a national report on sustainable development released in early June.

The report, the first of its kind in the country, noted that China is now home to 127 national engineering research centers, 729 State-level corporate technological centers and more than 5,500 provincial-level corporate tech centers.

The study said companies now contribute 53 percent of the country's total invention patent applications.

Driven by intensive R&D in renewable energy, the country has been more than 90 percent self-sufficient in energy over the past 10 years, the report said.

China is now the world's largest hydropower and wind power producer.