Recently, Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council, attended the 7th China-Japan-ROK Leaders' Meeting and paid official visit to Japan. In the Joint Declaration of the 7th China-Japan-ROK Leader's Meeting released on May 9, leaders of the three countries declared: We recognize the need to build an intellectual property (IP) system which values creative ideas and enables fair competition with a view to achieving continued economic growth and prosperity. We also acknowledge the important role of the trilateral IP cooperation, including the Trilateral IP Office Heads Meeting, in improving the regional IP system, and look forward to further development of trilateral cooperation.

On the night of release of the Joint Declaration, Premium Li Keqiang held talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan at the State Guest House in Tokyo, and met with reporters jointly thereafter. "China and Japan shall not only enhance political mutual trust, but also facilitate pragmatic cooperation." Li Keqiang expressed, "China and Japan are strongly complementary in economy, and we both agree that we could cooperate in various aspects including innovative development, so as to promote technical progress as well as protect intellectual property."

At the noon of May 10, Li Keqiang and Shinzo Abe jointly attended the commemoration activity marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and reception welcoming Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Japan in Tokyo. Li Keqiang delivered speech on the occasion. He expressed in his speech that China would greatly broaden market access, fully open the manufacturing industry, expand the opening up of the service industry, especially of the financial industry, protect IP with greater forces, build an investment environment of fair competition, and share development opportunities with various countries in the world.

In addition, in the morning of May 11 local time, Li Keqiang attended and addressed Opening Ceremony of China-Japan Governor Forum together with Shinzo Abe. Li Keqiang pointed out in his speech that: during this visit, the governments of China and Japan have reached numerous cooperation agreements, creating conditions and space for both countries to deepen cooperation at local level and between enterprises. Both sides agreed to carry out cooperation in innovative development, establish dialogue mechanism in innovation, and gradually promote both countries to conduct technical cooperation in the fields that meet the needs of economic and social development and people’s livelihood, such as high technology, tackling the problems brought by population aging and improving medical and health care. Meanwhile, intellectual property rights should be strictly protected. (Translated from SIPO Website Chinese Version)