Chinese vice premier stresses improvement of IPR protection

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reads out a congratulatory letter sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the commemorative event marking the 50th anniversary of cooperation between China and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and delivers a speech at the event in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday stressed China's efforts on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and the improvements made in the field.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when delivering a speech at the commemorative event marking the 50th anniversary of cooperation between China and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Beijing on Wednesday.

He read out a congratulatory letter sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the commemorative event, saying it embodies the great importance attached to the work on intellectual property.

In the first decade of the new era, China has placed IPR protection work in a more prominent position. The country has introduced a series of major policies, actions and plans, and has implemented a strict IPR protection system. China has made historic achievements in the intellectual property sector, and blazed a path of intellectual property development with Chinese characteristics, Ding noted.

China's intellectual property work has developed rapidly, strongly boosting the construction of an innovative country and providing important support for high-quality development, he added.

The vice premier stressed that China will comprehensively strengthen the IPR protection work in an all-round way, speed up the building of an intellectual property powerhouse, stimulate vitality in innovation, forge a new development pattern, and strive to achieve high-quality development.

He noted that China will further strengthen the building of IPR institutions, accelerate the improvement of the intellectual property legal system, improve the mechanism for the distribution of intellectual property rights and interests, and improve patent and trademark review policies, so as to boost the roles they play in stimulating innovation.

Ding also said that China will strictly protect IPR in accordance with the law, improve the administrative and judicial protection systems, strengthen the whole-chain protection of IPR, and create a level playing field in the market.

Efforts will also be made to promote IPR transfer and transformation, encourage IPR creation and application, and support the innovative development of the real economy, said Ding.

In addition, China will continue to optimize IPR public services and improve the accessibility and universal benefits of these services, he said.

He noted that China is willing to establish closer cooperative relations with the WIPO to jointly advance IPR cooperation and make new contributions to the prosperity and progress of mankind.

He put forward three suggestions in this regard.

The first is working together to improve global IPR governance, firmly uphold the multilateral IPR system with the WIPO at its core, and make the global IPR governance system fairer and more equitable.

The second is working together to promote the efficient creation and application of IPR, adhere to the principles of openness, inclusiveness, balance and universal benefits, and advance international exchanges and cooperation on IPR, so as to bring more benefits to mankind.

The third is working together to promote international cooperation on IPR protection, severely crack down on various IPR infringements in accordance with the law, advance equal IPR protection, and carry out technological exchanges and cooperation on the basis of market-oriented and law-based principles.

WIPO Director General Daren Tang attended the event and delivered a speech.