China hits back at US efforts to ‘block’ WIPO candidate
A Chinese ambassador has returned fire against the US’ “attack” on China’s bid to lead the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Chen Xu, China's ambassador in Geneva, allegedly claimed that the US was turning the election into a “political game”, according to The New York Times.
“The US has no candidate of its own, yet it tries every means to block Wang Binying and even takes this venture at its top diplomatic agenda," Chen told reporters at a news conference.
In November last year, China submitted a letter to WIPO, nominating Wang for the position of director general. Wang has been serving as the deputy director general, overseeing trademarks, designs and geographical indications, since 2009.
“It is sad that the US has gone so far as to warn some of the medium and small countries not to vote for China, or they will face consequences such as weakened relations with the US or losing the World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans,” Chen said.
Wang’s nomination has provoked controversy in the US, where politicians claim Chinese leadership of WIPO would weaken IP.
Writing this week in the Financial Times, US president for trade and manufacturing policy Peter Navarro argued against Wang's appointment.
"If China were to match western standards for IP protection and enforcement, it might be in a position to provide a leader for Wipo. That day is certainly not today," said Nabarro.
"China’s WIPO gambit is part of a broader strategy to gain control over the 15 specialised agencies of the UN," he added.
Donald Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton claimed last week that the global IP system would be “gravely threatened” if Wang was selected for the position.
Bolton, who resigned his White House post last September, tweeted a link to a report from a conservative think tank Heritage, which said the US should go as far as to withdraw from the PCT and boycott WIPO if Wang was elected.
In addition, four US senators wrote to Trump last December, arguing that Wang’s nomination was tainted by China’s “persistent violations of IP protections”.
The letter was signed by senators Tom Cotton, Charles Schumer, Mike Gallagher and Jimmy Panetta.
Wang is just one of six candidates looking to succeed Francis Gurry as WIPO director general. A WIPO “coordination committee” is set to select its nominee for director general at a closed-door vote on March 4-5.
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