With the world focused on increased safety measures for intellectual property rights, the China High-level Forum on IPR Protection 2007, sponsored by the National Working Group for IPR Protection, opened in Beijing today.

In attendance were Vice Premier Wu Yi; Xu Kuangdi, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); Adrian Otten, director of the Intellectual Property Division from WTO; and Yan Xiaohong, vice minister of the General Administration of Press and Publication and vice minister of the National Copyright Administration.

Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai chaired this forum, its topic being "IPR Protection and Enterprise Competitiveness."

Wu Yi said that the future of international competition is in IPR competition. Innovation and IPR protection will play an important role in national development; therefore, a sound IPR protection system must be established.

Talking about the trade disputes between China and the US, Wu pointed out that the government would firmly hold its current position, emphasizing that the disputes should be properly resolved through patient negotiations.

Wu also reiterated the important role the legal service has in IPR protection. She said China will try its best to refine the legal system and to create a perfect investment environment for the world.

Jiang Zengwei, vice minister of commerce and director of the National Working Group for IPR Protection, said that enterprise is a major player in IPR innovation, management, application, and protection.

He said that for an enterprise to be safe in the world of fierce competition, it must constantly improve innovation mechanisms, so as to develop core technologies with their own intellectual property rights.

The Ministry of Commerce has formulated a supporting measure to boost trade through science and technology, and established 18 national bases for the project. After this, export of high and new technology products has grown by 8 percent, and its proportion in the total export volume has increased by 17.6 percent last year.

Jiang introduced a government-organized Brand Promotion Campaign with a selection of 222 "Most Competitive Brands" and the "Program of Revitalizing Old Trade Names," at the 100th Canton Fair, where 573 complaints were dealt with and 509 companies were denied entry for IPR-infringing goods.

Jiang said that the government will also step up support for companies to protect their rights abroad.

"We will study the establishment of overseas IPR protection mechanisms for companies, open overseas IPR protection hotlines and set up an Internet service platform," he said.

"The government will further tap the potential of the 'Complaining Center for Chinese Companies Abroad' to understand and help to address companies' real problems in a timely manner, and reinforce training for companies on overseas IPR protection to enhance their capacity to deal with possible problems."

About 50 other experts and professionals, including senior managers of world famous multinational corporations and domestic large and medium-sized enterprises, well-known scholars and experts from home and abroad, and attorneys, delivered speeches at the meeting.

(China.org.cn by staff reporter Wang Ke, April 24, 2007)