The symposium, jointly sponsored by the State Intellectual Property Office and the US Embassy to China, is part of an exchange program on intellectual property between the two countries.

Ma Lianyuan, vice commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office, said at the opening ceremony that violation of intellectual property is a global issue, not only in China but also in other countries, including developed ones.

The Chinese government will continue to work to protect intellectual property, an effort which is vital to China's economic development, he said.

Ma revealed that the newly revised patent law has been approved by the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and will take effect on July 1, 2001. The amendments to the trademark law and copyright law are also being made.

The one-day symposium dealt with the amendments of Chinese laws on patents, trademarks and copyright, as well as protection of on-line intellectual property and treatment of fake trademarks in the US.

(Xinhua 03/07/2001)