From November 8 to 10, Inter-Regional Symposium on the Strategic Use of Trademarks for Economic Development, with Particular Reference to Rural Development was jointly held by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of China (SAIC) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Beijing. In the three days, representatives from WIPO and such countries as USA, France, Britain, Swiss thoroughly discussed such topics concerning the close relationship between trademark protection and economic development, the importance of geographical indications to economic development in rural areas, the advantages of Madrid international trademark registration system in international trademark protection.

This symposium aims to give full play to the administrative function of Administration for Industry and Commerce so as to further strengthen protection on intellectual property rights. And as one of the series programs of the project “the Strategic Use of IPR for Economic Development” launched by the Department of Economic Development of WIPO, this symposium is of great importance. The participants attend include foreign experts from 29 countries and regions, representatives from more than 20 Chinese authorities such as Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, the People’s Supreme Court, as well as officials in the trademark administration of 44 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, specially listed cities and sub-provincial city.

Mr. Wang Zhongfu, Minister of State Administration for Industry and Commerce and Mr.Philippe Petit Deputy Director General, WIPO delivered speeches at the opening ceremony.

In the past 25 years, WIPO has been carrying out a number of cooperation and exchange activities with Chinese government and State Administration for Industry and Commerce. Since 1980 when China entered WIPO, China has been further strengthening the friendly cooperation and exchanges with WIPO and foreign trademark authorities, and has successively become party to a number of international treaties related to trademarks, such as Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks, Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. China has won worldwide applause and recognition as China has strictly implemented the designated obligation and further strengthened protection on intellectual property rights.