Chinese trademark filings flood foreign markets

Government subsidies for applications may encourage gaming the system

TOKYO -- Chinese trademark applications in Japan, the U.S. and Europe swelled nearly sevenfold in the three years through 2017 as government subsidies aimed at building global brands prompted a disruptive deluge of filings.

China can often be an unfriendly place for foreign companies looking to register trademarks -- an essential part of doing business. When a Japanese organization tried in 2009 to trademark Imabari towels, known for their quality, its application was rejected on the grounds that a Chinese company had already trademarked the characters for "Imabari." 

source:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-Trends/Chinese-trademark-filings-flood-foreign-markets