China to evaluate WTO ruling on standard essential patent disputes with EU

China's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday said it will carefully evaluate the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on China's standard essential patent disputes with the European Union (EU), and address the issue in accordance with WTO rules.

A spokesperson for the ministry said that the arbitration panel had upheld the expert group's ruling, affirming that China's actions had not affected the protection of patent rights by other WTO members and were not considered measures for the enforcement of intellectual property regulations under WTO rules. China welcomed the decision.

However, in the absence of basis, the panel wrongly concluded that WTO members should avoid affecting the ability of patent holders to exercise their rights in other members' territories. China has expressed dissatisfaction with this over-extension of WTO member obligations, the spokesperson said.

China recognizes the value of the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) in effectively resolving trade disputes through legal channels, and will continue to work with other MPIA participants to ensure its proper and effective implementation, jointly upholding the rule-based multilateral trading system, the spokesperson noted.

(Cover: World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. /CFP)