China staunch defender of IPR, says Chinese envoy

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Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming on Thursday defended China's trade practices and stances, rebuking US allegation that China was infringing on intellectual property rights (IPRs).

Liu rejected the White House's allegations that China was "stealing" intellectual property from the United States and "forcing" US firms to transfer technology.

China stands ready to work with the world to protect IPRs, Liu said.

The Chinese ambassador made the remarks in an online article published by British daily The Telegraph, in response to the recent US decision to slap tariffs on Chinese goods in a move that's going against World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

According to a recent report issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China was the second largest source of international patent applications filed in 2017 under WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty. It is expected to overtake the United States, the largest source, within three years, Liu pointed out.

The WIPO report listed two Chinese technology companies, Huawei and ZTE, as the top filers of international patent applications in 2017.

Within China, the State Intellectual Property Office received nearly 1.4 million applications for invention patents in 2017, outnumbering the United States, Japan, S. Korea and Europe combined, Liu said.

"These facts and figures speak loud and clear: China is becoming a world leader in scientific and technological innovation," the envoy remarked. "Such a level of innovative outcomes could not have been possible without stringent and robust efforts in IPR protection."

He also pointed out that China underwent complete and systematic legal revisions around the time of its accession to the WTO in 2001. It established a full-fledged system of domestic IPR laws and regulations that conform to both international practice and China's national conditions.

The US allegation of "forced technology transfer" is a clear excuse to suppress scientific innovation in China and protect its domestic industries, he said.

Calling the allegation "totally wrong," Liu said, "The fact is, China has taken firm actions against IPR infringements and never tolerated 'forced' technology transfers."

"The deals between Chinese and American companies are commercial actions and independent decisions of the companies involved after consultations on an equal basis."

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency