Intellectual Property: China: IP protection is for pursuing further opening up, self-development

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Strengthening intellectual property rights is the centerpiece of improving China's IPR system. Recently, China's National Intellectual Property Administration organized a special tour for members of the media from around the world, detailing the development of China's IP protection. CGTN's Zhou Jiaxin with more.

In the past few decades, China's IP protection legal system has gone from nothing to an advanced system, a process which takes developed countries decades or even hundreds of years.

Committed to building a good environment for strictly protecting intellectual property rights in accordance with the law, China's efforts have been recognized by both domestic and foreign applicants.

GAN SHAONING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR CHINA NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADMINISTRATION "From 2013 to 2018, foreign applicants applied for about 80-thousand patents, with an average annual increase of nearly 4 percent. The total number of trademarks have reached nearly 2 million, representing an average annual increase of over 10 percent."

In order to fulfill an IP protection system offering strict, fast and equal protection to all, China has continued to enhance the quality and efficiency of IP examination in recent years and has put in place a punitive compensation system to raise the cost for offenders.

So far, 44 IP protection centers and fast-track rights protection centers have been established.

Gan said China will treat everyone equally, to establish a good business environment.

GAN SHAONING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR CHINA NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADMINISTRATION "Equal protection means China will treat everyone equally, no matter where you come from, big or small companies, legal person as an enterprise or individual."

Months ago, a national center for overseas IPR protection was set up to facilitate international cooperation.

It will help China's "going-out" companies better understand and observe IPR laws and rules when they operate overseas.

To strengthen information-sharing, the overseas IP information platform will also be improved.

ZHANG ZHICHENG DIRECTOR GENERAL OF IP PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, CNIPA "We have provided enterprises with information on over 1,000 IP laws and regulations of over 140 countries and regions, information on foreign-related IP service organizations, and a list of experts available to provide information support for overseas enterprises."

For China and many other countries, innovation drives economic development. And protecting IPR helps protect innovation, leading to better economic growth. CGTN.