Festive melodies and rhythms of the times bring yet another year to us. As we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one, I would like to, on behalf of the State Intellectual Property Office of China, express my best wishes to all staff members and retirees in China's intellectual property (IP) system. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to leaders at all levels and friends from all walks of life who have shown long-term interest and support to IP-related work.

Looking back to the 12th Five Year Plan period, we are full of unforgettable memories. In the past five years, the field of IP in China experienced extraordinary development and witnessed impressive progress. Thanks to the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have scored remarkable achievements in this regard. China is now determined to become a powerful IP country and its protection and utilization of intellectual property rights (IPR) continues to be strengthened. Great improvements in IPR management and services have been made, and the foundation for the development of IP-related work consolidated. These provided strong support to the country’s economic and social development.

In particular, in the year 2015, we learned and implemented the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress, and the third, fourth and fifth plenary sessions of the 18th CPC Central Committee. We studied and implemented the spirit of the series of important speeches made by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and followed the 'Four Comprehensives' strategy and the ideas of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared to development. We have made new strides in the fields of IP top-level design, the legal system, strict protection, facilitating utilization, international cooperation and exchanges, and capacity building, taking our work to a higher level and drawing a meaningful and satisfactory conclusion to IP-related work in the 12th Five-Year Plan period.

Looking into the 13th Five-Year Plan period, we are filled with enthusiasm. China faces unprecedented opportunities and exciting prospects in the area of IP. In the next five years, ground-breaking efforts will be made in building a powerful IP nation. The implementation of the national IP strategy will enter a crucial stage and breakthroughs will be made in deepening reforms in the field of IP. With the future in mind, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council developed a strategy for IP-related work – the IP system should serve as the basic safeguard for innovation, efforts to build a powerful IP country should be accelerated through reforms, and a sound environment for innovation, entrepreneurship and business should be created to facilitate innovation-driven development, our national strategy, and the development of a high quality, efficient and upgraded economy. Based on a precise understanding of the characteristics of the development of IP in this period, we should shoulder our historic responsib
ilities, and seize opportunities and the good momentum. We should boost development through reform and innovation, and bring into full play the important role of the IP system in the economic and social development of China, thus supporting the new normal and making new contributions.

The year 2016 is a promising one. It is the first year for the implementation of the 13th Five-Year Plan and a crucial one for deepening reforms in the field of IP and accelerating the building of a powerful IP nation. We should follow the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and Opinion of the State Council on Accelerating the Building of a Strong Intellectual Property Nation under New Conditions. We should concentrate our efforts, and place great emphasis on implementation. Specifically, we will advance reforms in the field of IP, ensure strict IPR protection, and promote IP creation and utilization. We will also strengthen key industries’ IP overseas layout, and step up international IP cooperation. By doing these, we hope to get IP-related work off to a good start for the next five years and generate new results in reforms and development, thus laying a solid foundation for the building of a strong IP country.

As we passionately embark on a new trip, we will remember to ‘seize the hour and seize the day’. Rallying around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the General Secretary, we will set sail on a new journey and write a new chapter in building a world-class IP power with Chinese characteristics, and strive to achieve two "one hundred years" goals and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.