On December 9th, Shen Changyu, Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), held a video conference with Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Mr. Shen congratulated Mr. Tang on his appointment as Director General of WIPO and on the successful establishment of his senior management team. He said that China highly appreciates the fact that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, WIPO has achieved a smooth transition of leadership and kept its service systems running steadily and efficiently. This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's accession to WIPO. For the past four decades, CNIPA and WIPO have maintained a long-standing friendly and cooperative relationship, with the depth and breadth of cooperation constantly expanding. It is hoped that both sides will continue to maintain close exchanges, further enhance the width and depth of cooperation, and keep in touch on important issues.

Mr. Tang thanked CNIPA for its support for WIPO over the years. He recognized that the remarkable achievements that China has made in the field of Intellectual Property (IP) over the past 40 years have made it an important power in this regard and a global innovation leader. Recently, Chinese leaders have emphasized the need to strengthen intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in China across the board, China's patent law, and other IP laws have been amended to keep pace with the times. The number of patent and trademark applications has maintained growth, all of which are admirable initiatives and progress. Mr. Tang expressed his willingness to further strengthen WIPO's cooperation with China in the future.

The two parties also exchanged views on the promotion and application of WIPO's IP service system in China, China's accession to the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, IP cooperation along the Belt and Road Initiative, IP commercialization, and IP's role in poverty alleviation.

CNIPA Deputy Commissioner Gan Shaoning and Deputy Director General Wang Binying also joined the meeting. (Translated from CNIPA Website Chinese Version)