China, UK to promote dialogue on trade, IPR protection

China and the United Kingdom on Monday vowed to promote cooperation in trade and investment, and enhance dialogue on trade protectionism, resumption of the Doha talks and intellectual property rights (IPR) protection.

At the sixth conference of the Sino-British Trade and Investment Joint Committee here, Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai and Alistair Darling, Britain's Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, agreed on the necessity that the Doha round talks of the World Trade Organization (WTO) be pushed forward through constructive multilateral organizations.

Both sides welcomed an early resumption of the Doha round negotiations on world trade.

The Doha talks, which remain inconclusive after almost five years, were indefinitely suspended in July due to bitter differences among major WTO members, particularly on agricultural issues.

The two sides also discussed solutions to increasing trade protectionism, calling for joint efforts to tackle the problem.

The European Union (EU) is China's largest trading partner and biggest source of high technology, Bo said. However, frequent anti-dumping complaints and trade investigations by the EU would harm the harmonious atmosphere between China and the EU as well as bilateral trade and investment expansion.

Bo also called on the British side to play a constructive role in an early EU decision on China's market economy status.

The two sides agreed to strengthen dialogue and coordination in trade and to enhance research on IPR protection.

The Chinese government regards IPR protection as a national strategy and will maintain its fight against infringements, Bo said.

In 2005, public security departments arrested 2,119 people involved in piracy, up 56 percent over the previous year, and the total sum involved was 1.28 billion yuan, up 366 percent, Bo said.

"We recognize the efforts made by the Chinese government to protect intellectual property rights," Darling said, adding that the UK hoped to seek more opportunities to work together in IPR protection.

Both sides agreed the committee had played a great role in promoting trade and investment and holding high-level official meetings to examine progress by working groups.

Darling, leading a 15-member delegation, arrived in Beijing on Sunday. He will also visit Shanghai and Hong Kong. He said over the weekend before departure that Sino-British trade ties would be strengthened through mutual investment, not only trade.

The first conference of the Sino-British joint committee was held in 1996.

Source: Xinhua