On June 29, CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu and EPO President António Campinos had a video conference. During the conference, the two sides agreed to issue the joint statement of EPO and CNIPA on response to COVID-19. They briefed their measures to provide convenience to applicants in response to the pandemic, and also exchanged views on the arrangement for the upcoming IP5 Heads of Office Meeting and the 2020 Conference of Heads of Offices between CNIPA and EPO, as well as the pilot project of PCT international searching authorities, artificial intelligence applications, cooperative patent classification, and other bilateral cooperation topics.

Shen Changyu remarked that it is the first statement that CNIPA issued with another intellectual property agencies responding to the pandemic. The statement fully demonstrates the comprehensive strategic partnership between CNIPA and EPO, as well as both sides' determination to fight against COVID-19 and jointly support their users. He hoped that CNIPA and EPO will continue exchanges and cooperation in artificial intelligence, cooperative patent classification and other fields of IP, so as to provide better services for the public and IP users.

António Campinos said that CNIPA and EPO have taken a series of responding measures, which considered the adverse impact brought by the pandemic to applicants and protected their legitimate rights and interests. EPO is honored to be designated to act as an international searching authority for Chinese IP applicants, and is willing to further develop a bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership with CNIPA, so as to promote exchanges and cooperation in all fields of IP. (Translated from CNIPA Website Chinese Version)