A senior government official expressed "deep regret" on Tuesday over the US government putting China on a "Priority Watch List" of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, saying it does not conform to the facts.

Zhang Zhigang, office director of the State Work Group on IPR Protection and also vice minister of commerce, made the remarks at a State Council Information Office press conference in Beijing.

He said China has made significant progress in IPR protection, handling 24,189 trademark infringement cases and seizing over 167 million illegal and pirated products since the launch of a crackdown last September.

In addition, it has destroyed 24 illegal CD production lines and closed down 2,960 illegal printing workshops, said Zhang, evidencing the government's determination and commitment to IPR protection.

From January to May, procuratorial organs approved the arrest of 340 people suspected of IPR violations, with 258 of them prosecuted, up 58.9 percent and 20.6 percent year-on-year respectively, a senior public prosecutor told the press conference.

They approved the arrest of 882 suspects involved in the production and marketing of fake and shoddy products, up 51.5 percent year-on-year, said Zhu Xiaoqing, vice procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Zhu added that 844 of the suspects were prosecuted, up 45 percent on the same period last year.

Shen Deyong, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, said the courts handled 1,280 cases in the same period involving IPR violation, production and sale of shoddy products, and illegal business operations, up 23.9 percent year-on-year. The number of these cases concluded rose 28.29 percent to 1,061.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2005)