China defends IP protection amid US trade talks
Chinese officials have hit back at criticism of the country’s IP protection regime ahead of concluding trade negotiations with the US.
US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer is set to travel to Beijing tomorrow, April 30, along with treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin for another round of trade negotiations that have been shrouded in controversy over US allegations of Chinese IP violations.
At a press conference held yesterday, Shen Changyu, head of China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA), said that international criticism of the country’s IP protection “lacked evidence”, Reuters reported.
While China had “some problems”, Shen defended his country’s record on IP protection. “IP infringement is a global problem that exists in every country,” he said.
According to the state news media outlet Xinhua, Chinese authorities handled “around 77,000 cases on patents” last year, an increase of 15.9% from 2017.
Yet concerns remain in the US as the two governments look to finalise a new trade deal. Last week, the USTR named China on a “priority watch list” of countries which have failed to adequately protect IP.
Among the issues highlighted ncluded China’s efforts to contain the proliferation of counterfeit goods on e-commerce platforms.
“As China has become the largest e-commerce market in the world, widespread online piracy and counterfeiting in e-commerce markets represent critical concerns for US right holders”, the USTR said.
Shen, however, cited 31,000 trademark violations “dealt with” by the Chinese authorities last year, worth a total $81.2 million.
Chinese vice premier Lie Hue will travel to Washington, DC next month to continue negotiations. According to Reuters, US president Trump has indicated that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will be hosted at the White House, although no date has been set for a meeting.
Did you enjoy reading this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.
Today's top stories:
Olaplex granted preliminary injunction against L’Oréal
