The two-day fourth round of Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) was wrapped up in Beijing on May 4. The conference released a Joint Statement on the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue Outcomes of the Strategic Track, which depicts a new blueprint for the U.S.-China relationship in the future. Among the dialogue outcomes, the IPR has caught much attention.

The two sides focus on IP protection

Under the statement, China and the U.S. are to further step up IP infringement enforcement and increase enforcement resources, China is to improve IPR related laws and regulations and study further strengthening of measures for the pursuit of criminal liability for IPR infringement. Both sides commit to continue enforcement efforts in IPR border protection to reduce cross-border trade in IPR-infringing goods.

"It reflects that the IP cooperation between the two sides has been deepened. It is worth mentioning that the two sides will continue to step up IPR border protection, which is important for the trade development between the two sides, and it also reflects the two sides are facilitating their relationship by intensifying IPR international protection", said Zhang Yurui, the researcher of IP Search Center in Chinese Academy of Social Science.

IP is a common need for the U.S.-China development

Compared to the previous the U.S.'s demand in stepping up IP protection, the fourth round of S&ED regards IPR as a common need for the economy development of the two countries. Under the statement, the United States and China commit to create an environment for their respective markets, whereby the level of sales of legitimate IP-intensive products and services increases, reflecting economic growth and in line with the two countries' status as globally significant producers and consumers.

China and the U.S. both have demands on IPR protection. With economic development, IPR protection has got great attention by Chinese companies. According to the statistics, in 2011, Chinese telecommunications equipment giant ZTE snuck to the top of PCT applications over the world, closely followed by Huawei ranking the third. The rapid growth in PCT filings reflects that the awareness of IPR protection of Chinese companies has achieved visible elevation, according to Ding Yifan, the Deputy Director of Institute of World Development, Development Research Center of the State Council and vice-chairman of China Society of World Economics.

Create a favorable environment to facilitate bilateral trade

With growing mutual economic dependence, it has become a common understanding of the two sides that the U.S. facilitates the export of civilian high-tech exports to China. Under the statement, the United States commits to take efforts to facilitate the export of civilian high-tech exports to China for civilian end-users and civilian end-uses. Both sides are to take efforts to create a favorable environment to facilitate and expand bilateral civilian high-tech trade.
"The U.S. relaxed restrictions on export of IPR-reliant technologies to China, which will inevitably involve the matter of IPR license and transfer. That requires China to attract high-level technologies with sound IP protection environment and skillful IP practices", said Zhang Yurui.

(China IP News)