Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi said in Washington Thursday China will actively respond according to relevant World Trade Organization(WTO) rules to the cases filed by the United States against China.

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It is regretful that the U.S. Trade Representative Office, regardless of China's enormous progress and still expedite and effective channels for bilateral communication and consultation, filed the cases of IPR (intellectual property right) and market access for publications in China with the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism, Wu said.

She was giving a speech at the welcome banquet hosted by six American organizations. The United States filed the cases in April this year.

"Such a move not only runs counter to the consensus between our state leaders to address differences through dialogue, but also is rarely seen as it is the first time for one WTO member to concurrently lodge two complaints against another, which will surely have serious impact on bilateral IPR cooperation under the JCCT (China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade) framework and damage the already established bilateral cooperative ties on market access for publications," Wu pointed out.

"China will actively respond to the cases according to relevant WTO rules," the vice premier said.

In as short as 20 odd years, Wu said, China has strictly observed international rules on IPR, formulated many IPR protecting laws, regulations, judicial interpretations and departmental rules and formed a full-fledged IPR legal system compliant with international rules.

China has also acceded to almost all international conventions and treaties on IPR, scrupulously abided by its international obligations and played a constructive role in the activities and negotiations of international IPR organizations, she said.

So far, China has completed all domestic procedures for joining the two international internet treaties and will become a full member in June this year, she added.

She said that it is fair to say that the human and material resources China devoted to IPR protection, its working intensity and the realized effects have all been unprecedented.

"The Chinese government has strongly realized the necessity of building and constantly perfecting the IPR system for our own development, and that's why our attitude has been hard-set, our work, concrete and substantial and our achievements obvious," Wu said.

The six organizations are U.S.-China Business Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, China General Chamber of Commerce-USA, American Bankers Association, American Council of Life Insurers and Financial Services Forum.

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