On the 19th of October, the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property’s World Intellectual Property Conference opened in Hangzhou. During the opening ceremony, Zhang Guoqing, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, delivered a speech and read a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping.

Zhang emphasized that President Xi’s special message to the conference underscores China’s strong commitment to intellectual property (IP) work. In recent years, China has been actively implementing its national intellectual property strategy, accelerating the construction of a strong IP nation, and achieving historic milestones in this field. As China embarks on a new journey in this new era, it will speed up the development of a comprehensive legal framework, management system, policies, and regulations for intellectual property. The country aims to enhance the entire IP ecosystem, including creation, application, protection, management, and services, continuously improving the governance capabilities and levels in IP while further stimulating innovation across society. This approach is essential for supporting high-quality development and advancing China’s modernization.

Zhang also expressed China’s willingness to engage in more practical and mutually beneficial cooperation with countries worldwide in the realm of intellectual property. He called for a collective firm commitment to uphold the multilateral system centered on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and to collaboratively enhance international IP rules and standards. The goal is to create a global governance framework for intellectual property that involves consultation, construction, and sharing, ensuring that the benefits of technological innovation reach more countries and people, thus enhancing human welfare.

During the opening session, Shunjiro Okuyama, President of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, also addressed attendees, with a video message from Daren Tang, the Director General of WIPO. This year’s conference, co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, focuses on “Balanced Protection of Intellectual Property and Innovative Development.”