China: U.S. piracy complaint may hurt ties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) April 24, 2007 -- The top Chinese envoy on trade relations with Washington warned Tuesday that U.S. complaints to the World Trade Organization over product piracy and media market barriers could harm relations on trade issues.

"The adverse impact generated by this would be huge," Vice Premier Wu Yi said at the opening of a government forum on intellectual property protection.

Wu complained that Washington was ignoring Chinese progress in fighting product piracy and said the U.S. move violated an agreement by leaders of the countries to settle such disputes through dialogue.

"It will also cause serious influence on bilateral intellectual property cooperation under the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade framework and harms the existing cooperative relationship on market access for publications," Wu said.

The U.S. complaint to the WTO, filed April 9, accuses Beijing of violating its trade commitments by failing to stop widespread product piracy and blocking imports of U.S.-produced books, magazines and publications.

Wu said Beijing will "actively respond" to the cases.

"We will fight to the last minute," she said.

Wu is China's envoy to a high-level dialogue with Washington on trade, due to hold its next session in Washington next month over disputes including market access and Beijing's currency controls. The U.S. side is led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Wu gave no indication whether she would bring up the WTO complaint with Paulson, who is under increasing pressure from Congress to get tough on Beijing.

China is one of the world's leading sources of illegally copied goods ranging from Hollywood movies and designer clothes to sporting goods and medications. U.S. officials say Chinese piracy costs companies tens of billions of dollars in potential sales.

The country also has suffered a string of deaths and serious injuries caused by counterfeit food, medicines and liquor.

The one-day forum at a Beijing hotel was attended by 750 Chinese officials, foreign diplomats and managers of Chinese and foreign companies.

Wu said that Beijing's intellectual property protections are in line with international standards but she acknowledged the country still faces problems.

"China still has a long way to go on its IPR protection journey," she said, referring to intellectual property rights.

Wu acknowledged that the scale of illegal copying of products was still large and public awareness of the problem is poor.

Wu outlined the measures Beijing is promising to take this year to step up intellectual property protection, including passing or revising 15 laws, issuing seven judicial rulings and launching publicity campaigns to educate the public about social damage from buying illegally copied goods.

"The Chinese government will be more resolute, adopt more measures and step up IPR protection," she said.

Author: JOE McDONALD
Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/