On September 10, the 11th Meeting of China-ASEAN Heads of Intellectual Property Offices kicked off online. The meeting was presided over by Mr. Le Ngoc Lam, Rotating Chairman of AWGIPC and Deputy Director General of National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam (NOIP), and attended by CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu, heads of IPOs of the ASEAN member states as well as relevant leaders of the ASEAN Secretariat.

In a speech delivered during the online meeting, Mr. Shen Changyu said China and the ASEAN member states have maintained close cooperation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and promote economic recovery. The meeting being held via a video link at such an unusual time demonstrates the close relationship between China and the ASEAN and the firm commitment of the IP offices of various countries to being a quality supplier for their users. As the pandemic has devastated economies around the world, there is no time to delay to give full play to the role of IP in supporting innovation. In terms of IP-driven innovation and economic growth, Shen proposed three suggestions. First of all, international cooperation and exchanges should be continuously deepened to form a more balanced and effective IP system on a global scale; second, new technologies should be utilized even better to improve IP examination quality and efficiency; third, various parties should join hands to cope with new challenges and reach a wider consensus on balancing the right to health between IPR holders and the public. He also added that CNIPA will continue to develop a more pragmatic and fruitful partnership with the IP offices of the ASEAN member states.

Mr. Le Ngoc Lam remarked in his speech that the ASEAN will further promote bilateral cooperation with China on IP. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the IP offices of the ASEAN member states have further realized the importance of international cooperation on IP. He hoped that, through discussing the IP-related measures and experience in combating the pandemic, they could expand cooperation with innovative models.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of the China-ASEAN IPR cooperation plan for 2019-2020 and deliberated and approved the plan for the next year. The participating parties all held that the enriched work plan will further deepen bilateral cooperation on IP. （Translated from CNIPA Website Chinese Version）