China－Africa Advanced Seminar on IP System and Policy Held in Guangdong

On July 24, China－Africa Advanced Seminar on Intellectual Property System and Policy was held in Guangdong Province. Shen Changyu, director of the State Intellectual Property Office（SIPO）, Edward Qwaqwa, special representative of the World Intellectual Property Organization（WIPO）and Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, director general of African Regional Intellectual Property Organization, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Chen Yunxian, member of the party leadership group, made a welcome speech. He Zhimin, vice president of SIPO, presided over the ceremony.

Shen pointed out, “A new round of scientific reforms and industrial changes is ready to start, innovation promotes developments significantly and intellectual property system plays more important role in stimulating innovation as a basic guarantee. China has been paying much attention to cooperation with African countries. Leaders of both parties have scored rich cooperation results through jointly establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring political equality and mutual trust, economic win－win and cultural exchanges.”

Currently, China is actively exploring a development path with its own characteristics and accelerating the construction of a powerful country with IP strengths. SIPO has been cooperating with ARIPO and authority departments in African countries in aspects of policy communication, information exchanges, personnel trainings and international affairs coordination. The cordial cooperation has not only promoted the development of IP industries in different countries, but also strengthened exchanges in areas of economy, trade, science and culture and facilitated the development of global IP industries and economic growth. It is hoped that the seminar could lay a more solid foundation for the long－term practical IP cooperation between China and Africa.

Chen welcomed that the seminar was held in Guangdong. He expressed that the seminar was the implementation of the One Belt and One Road initiative and also a key platform for China and Africa to strengthen IP－related exchanges and cooperation. He believed that the seminar could enhance African understandings of the IP creation, utilization, protection and management in China and improve international IP rules. Guangdong planned to deepen its cooperation with African countries in the area of IP by taking the seminar as an opportunity.

Edward held in the speech that the seminar provided a new path for WIPO, SIPO and ARIPO to cooperate. Santos recognized impressive achievements by China in area of IP. He said that the seminar provided fine opportunities for African countries to learn from China on how to apply the IP system in economic developments and also built a platform for them to share IP-related experience.

It is said that the week－long seminar, titled ‘Intellectual Property System and Policy’, was hosted jointly by SIPO and WIPO. It aimed to focus on IP system development and practice, IP promotion and service work, public awareness raise and SME’s developments. Over 50 IP experts from the WIPO, ARIPO and its member states, China, Egypt and South Africa and so on attended the seminar.

Source: SIPO

Editor: Camila