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• Date:2021-11-12

(Summary description)　　This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People's Republic of China's lawful seat in the United Nations (UN). In 1980, a decade after returning to the UN family, China acceded to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency under the UN and has contributed tremendously to IP global governance, norm-setting, international cooperation, having become a staunch practitioner, contributor and supporter of IP multilateralism. 　　How will China continue to bolster international IP cooperation and participate in IP global governance in the future? Recently, China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) Commissioner Shen Changyu and Deputy Commissioner Gan Shaoning elaborated at a regular policy briefing hosted by the State Council Information Office. 　　Shen said that China has been working closely with the WIPO for more than 40 years, having joined almost all major international IP conventions, participated in the formulation and promotion of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, became an important user of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and international trademark registration under the Madrid system. China has made important contributions to promoting the development of IP global infrastructure, which was highly praised by the WIPO. In terms of the next steps, China will adhere to the path of multilateralism, further strengthen cooperation with the WIPO, bolster IP global infrastructure, and beef up the construction of a global community with a shared future for mankind. The prime task is to firmly support the pivotal role of the WIPO in global IP governance and rulemaking, accelerate the formulation of rules on big data, artificial intelligence (AI), traditional knowledge and folklore, and devise IP international rules that are open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all. The second is to help the WIPO to continue to improve the global service system, build an IP ecosystem that takes into account the interests of all parties, and incorporate Chinese and other relevant official UN languages into the Madrid system and the Hague system to better serve global innovators. The third is to encourage all parties to make an early resolution on the convening of the Design Law Treaty Conference, advance China's accession to the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, actively integrate into the global design system, and help Chinese creativity, design, and manufacturing go global. The fourth is to deepen international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and other cooperation programs, give full attention to the concerns of developing countries, increase their representation in the decision-making bodies of the WIPO, and provide more technical assistance to developing countries to enhance their IP capacity building and ability to respond to global challenges and accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As one of the member states, China will continue to play a constructive role and participate in wide IP affairs, and contribute more to global IP work. 　　How will China promote the wider, broader, and deeper opening of IP next? Gan said that China will take three measures to achieve this goal. The first is to actively participate in global IP governance, involve itself in the improvement of the international IP rules system, and facilitate multilateral and bilateral IP negotiations related to economy and trade. The second is to enhance international IP cooperation, strengthen the establishment of an international IP cooperation mechanism and optimize the cooperation environment. The third is to beef up international cooperation in IP protection, provide convenience for business to obtain IP overseas, and bolster IP assistance and safeguard. 　　The 14th Five-Year National Plan for Intellectual Property Protection and Application was issued by the State Council of China recently. The Plan highlighted that new breakthroughs will be made in international IP cooperation during that period. In the future, China will focus on the overall situation of the country's reform and opening up, and make greater efforts to facilitate international IP cooperation. China will continue to improve IP international governance system via IP cooperation platforms such as the WIPO, the Belt and Road Initiative, IP5 (China, the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea) and the BRICS.