Director of State Intellectual Property Office Shen Changyu

Today we gather here to attend the symposium on the 10th anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Outline of the National Intellectual Property Strategy (hereinafter referred to as the Outline). We reviewed the historic achievements and valuable experience of our country's intellectual property development in ten years especially since the party's 18th CPC National Congress. We carefully analyze the current situation, tasks, opportunities and challenges. We adhere to the guidance of the Xi Jinping's socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics in a new era, discuss and plan new ideas and measures to accelerate the construction of a strong intellectual property country under the new situation. Here, on behalf of the State Intellectual Property Office, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Vice Chairman Yan Juanqi for the attendance and to express my sincere welcome to all guests!

On June 5, 2008, after several years of research, drafting, and demonstration, the State Council formally promulgated the Outline and launched the implementation of the national intellectual property strategy. China has entered a new century, and Reform and Opening-up has entered a new era. The central government and the State Council focused on the overall development of the country and made the major strategic plan that has had a wide range of domestic and international impacts and opened a new chapter in the development of China's intellectual property.

Ten years of hard work make great achievements. In the past ten years, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, under the joint participation of all member units of the Inter-ministerial Joint Conference of the State Council's Intellectual Property Strategy Implementation, central government departments, various localities, and all walks of life, the intellectual property strategy has been steadily advanced and made great achievements that attract worldwide attention. The outstanding performance is that all types of intellectual property creation have always maintained a good momentum of growth, the number of trademark applications has ranked first in the world for many years in succession, and great breakthrough of “two 1 million pieces” of annual invention patent applications and domestic valid invention patents has successively achieved. China's status of a large intellectual property country is firmly established. The protection of intellectual property continues to increase. Social satisfaction increased from 63 points in 2012 to 76 points in 2017, and the overall progress was in a good phase. The benefits of the use of intellectual property have become increasingly apparent and have effectively supported economic and social development. A historic breakthrough was made in the reform of intellectual property management, the overall coordination mechanism for strategic implementation was further improved, and the modernization of governance systems and governance capabilities was accelerated. The international cooperation has progressed steadily. China's discourse power and influence in the field of international intellectual property have significantly improved and China has begun to shift from learners, followers to participants, promoters, and even leaders. The foundation of development has become more solid; the concept of intellectual property has become more and more popular; and the development of intellectual property has shown good momentum and bright prospects.

We have also accumulated valuable experience during the ten years of the implementation of the intellectual property strategy. First, we must uphold the party's leadership over the intellectual property cause. We must thoroughly study and implement the Xi Jinping's socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics in a new era, resolutely implement the decisions of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and strive to align the development of intellectual property with the overall arrangement of the country to provide strong support. Second, we must follow the objective law of the development of the intellectual property system and actively construct a legal system of intellectual property that adapts to China's national conditions with Chinese characteristics. Third, we must find an effective path for development to implement new development concepts, and strive to achieve breakthroughs in key areas and key links, to make overall improvement with key breakthroughs. Fourth, we must form a strong synergy for the implementation of the intellectual property strategy which demonstrates the superiority of the socialism system of "concentrating on dealing with major issues". Fifth, we must steadily promote strict and comprehensive governance of the party and create a clean environment for the cause. These experiences are precious and we need to continue to adhere to them.

A major judgment that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era was made in the 19th CPC National Congress, which makes clear a new historical orientation for China's development. We must follow the "two-step" strategy proposed in the 19th CPC National Congress and carefully plan the construction of a strong intellectual property nation in the new era. At present, the assessment expert group headed by Vice Chairman Yan Juanqi is carrying out a 10-year evaluation of the Outline and has formed a special report, which will soon be submitted to the Party Central Committee and the State Council. We will also actively advise the central government to start the work of formulating the outline for the construction of powerful intellectual property country as soon as possible to ensure that the construction and the implementation of the intellectual property strategy continue to advance.

Standing at the new starting point of development, we will thoroughly implement the requirements of the Central Committee for progress in stability and high-quality development, strive to cultivate more high-value core patents, copyright products, and well-known brands, and strive to realize the transformation from large number to high quality, and from big to strong. We will resolutely implement the central government's decision and arrangement of implementing a strict intellectual property protection system, and make overall plans for all aspects of "strict protection, major protection, rapid protection, and equal protection" of intellectual property, and strive to realize the continuous transformation of intellectual property protection from an increasingly enhanced one to a comprehensive and strict one, which will create a better business environment and innovation environment. We will focus on the real economy, strengthen the transformation and application of intellectual property, and strive to achieve a change from a single benefit to a comprehensive benefit to better support economic and social development. We will conscientiously implement the central government's decision and arrangements on deepening the reform of the party and state institutions, accelerate the improvement of the intellectual property management system and operating mechanism, to realize the modernization of intellectual property governance system and governance capacity. We will deeply implement the decision and arrangement of the central government on further expanding opening-up, actively participate in the global governance of intellectual property, and promote the development of international intellectual property rules in an open, inclusive, balanced, and effective direction. While strictly protecting the intellectual property of foreign-funded enterprises in accordance with the law, we will also effectively protect Chinese intellectual property abroad, to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests and achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. At the same time, we will also further strengthen the basic construction of the talent team, the cultural environment and so on, to ensure our intellectual property cause a promising and prosperous development.

Looking back at the past is to create the better future. Standing at a new historical starting point, we will more closely unite around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, remain true to our original aspiration, keep our mission firmly in mind, and continue to struggle. We will deepen the implementation of intellectual property strategy, speed up the construction of a powerful intellectual property country, to make new and greater contributions to the achievement of the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese Dream of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. (Translated from SIPO Website Chinese Version)