China and the United States wrapped up fourth round of Strategic Economic Dialogue, or SED, June 18 in Annapolis, Maryland in the United States. Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, special envoy of President Hu Jintao and U.S. Secretary of Finance Henry Paulson, special envoy of President George W. Bush co-chaired the meeting. Both sides agreed that building an innovative society is in the interests of both nations and intensifying IPR protection is the fundamental premise for building an innovative society. In addition, they believed that it's beneficial to discuss IPR issue from the strategic perspective and therefore guide Sino-US JCCT.

Wang Qishan said that both China and the United States adhered to the principle of free trade and investment facilitation in the dialogue to be committed to improving the investment environment, and agreed to formally launch negotiation on Sino-US bilateral investment protection accord; the two sides discussed in depth major issues confronted in Sino-US economic development, including the US subprime lending crisis, international financial market turmoil and global food security, and agreed to strengthen communication and negotiation in microeconomic policies like fiscal policy and monetary policy, and public investment to jointly cope with the challenges of economic globalization.

(China IP News)