Vice Premier Wu Yi said Tuesday China has full awareness of intellectual property rights and is firmly determined to protect them as the nation's markets develop.  

She said China is consistently increasing its efforts in the legal arena to protect these rights domestically and internationally.

Her remarks came before a luncheon at a round table conference hosted by US Embassy in Beijing.

"This is not only part of the implementation of China's commitments to the World Trade Organization, but efforts to attract more overseas investments and advanced technology, and to facilitate the economic and social progress of China," the vice premier said.

China has constructed a complete legal protection system which is now widely recognized worldwide, Wu said.

As member of the World Intellectual Property Organization, China has become a partner to major international conventions and agreements on the protection of intellectual property, including the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, and the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks.

Wu believes China's acceptance of those international conventions and treaties proves China is connecting itself to international standards and terms.

In practice, Wu said China has cracked down hard on counterfeiting operations and other forms of intellectual property rights infringements.

"Some problems do exist, but we have noted them and will solve them step by step,'' Wu promised.

On the development of China-US economic and trade relations, Wu expected the two sides to handle trade disputes with particular care, which will help to achieve sustainable and steady growth for both countries.

"An upward trend in trade and economic relations will benefit both sides,'' Wu said.

Officials from China's intellectual property rights protection departments were invited to the roundtable conference, and gave briefings on Chinese legislation and law-enforcement efforts to both Chinese and American business people who attended.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2003)