The 5th session of China-Russia Intellectual Property Working Group Meeting was held in Irkutsk, Russia on July 5. Chong Quan, Head of the Chinese delegation and Deputy China International Trade Representative, and Simonov, Head of the Russian delegation and Russian Federal Intellectual Property Office, co-chaired the meeting. Both parties believed that China and Russia are important trading partners, and intellectual property rights is an important part of bilateral economic and trade relations, it is necessary to enhance IPR exchange and cooperation between the two countries in WTO, APEC and BRIC, and to promote in-depth development of bilateral economic and trade relations.

Chong Quan briefed on China legislation and enforcement of IPR protection . He said that the Chinese government attaches great importance to IPR protection, and great progress was made in legal system construction in IPR , with gradual improvement in IPR legislation, enforcement and judicial system. From 2010 to 2011, the Chinese government carried out a nine-month cracking-down on IPR infringement, and on making and marketing fake and shoddy goods, and dealt with transgressions, , and fair competition maintained . In 2011, a Leading Group for National Cracking down on IPR Infringement and Counterfeit and Shoddy Goods was set up under the State Council, and a long-term mechanism for IPR protection was established.

Simonov briefed on Russia’s strengthening of IPR legislation, attaching equal importance to administration and penalty in IPR protection, and for the purpose setting up a court for handling IPR cases. He expressed that it is necessary for all countries to strengthen cooperation in fighting against IPR infringement, and Russia - China bilateral trade is on the increase, proportion of high-tech products is up, the two countries should strengthen IPR cooperation, sponsor functions of exchange, letting organizations and enterprises of the two countries to take part in it.

According to Chong Quan, it is necessary for China and Russia to strengthen IPR exchange in personnel and information . It is also necessary to strengthen IPR protection under the mechanism of BRICS Trade and Economic Ministers, discussing the mechanism for IPR protection and implementation that meets the current circumstances and the future development of the five countries, so as to jointly establish a new comprehensive and balanced international order for intellectual property rights.

Simonov shared China’s proposal on strengthening IPR cooperation among BRIC countries. He said that Russia is the organizer of 2012 APEC functions, and initiatives on IPR have been written into the Ministerial Declaration. Russia would like to push all member countries to implement the initiatives and to promote substantial progress on IPR cooperation under the framework of APEC.

The Chinese delegation was composed of representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and State Intellectual Property Office. Russia’s Deputy Governor of the Irkutsk region attended the meeting, and delivered a welcoming speech.