First of its kind in China, meeting discusses agenda on worldwide development

A high-level seminar on global intellectual property began on Monday in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, further advancing a formal 45-point agenda set out in 2007 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The seminar that concludes today - the first of its kind in China - marks an important move by WIPO toward implementing the goals it set, said Tian Lipu, commissioner of China's State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).

Further development and use of intellectual property are shared challenges that all rising economies, including China, face, Tian said.

Leaders of 189 countries signed the United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000 that sets a wide range of goals in global development.

For its part, China will increase efforts to cooperate with other countries and international organizations to strengthen the international intellectual property system, Tian added.

Though the intellectual property system is fundamental to technological progress and social development, advances and globalization pose new challenges including climate change, energy resources, food safety, public health and Internet applications, the seminar heard.

Against such a backdrop, no one nation, especially a developing nation, should be isolated, Tian said.

"Nations should move forward together and build up an effective and balanced intellectual property system, satisfying various needs at different development stages, helping nations deal with major problems and promote economic and social development."

China's government initiated a national intellectual property strategy in 2008 that seeks to encourage the creation, application, protection and management of innovation.

Hosting the seminar in Chengdu, China's first intellectual property rights demonstration city, "was appropriate", Tian said.

In recent years, Chengdu has attached great importance to intellectual property protection as it implemented a comprehensive strategy, said Ge Honglin, mayor of the host city.

Some 97,000 patent applications, 61,000 registered trademarks, about 10,000 copyright registrations and 13 geographical indication products have all originated in Chengdu.

Xiang Shiyong, deputy secretary-general of the Chengdu municipal government, said the city government insists on intellectual property protection as the core element to enhance its urban competitiveness.

Geoffrey Onyeama, assistant director-general of WIPO, also participated in the seminar co-hosted by WIPO and SIPO, and sponsored by Chengdu municipal government.

Li Yu contributed to this report.

China daily

(China Daily 03/31/2010 page17)