The 2024 International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) World Congress, themed "Balanced protection and innovative development of IP rights," opened in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday.
The four-day event is co-organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the AIPPI. Discussions will center around four key draft resolutions on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and rights enforcement.
The annual international gathering on intellectual property protection is being held in China for the first time in the organization's 127-year history, reflecting the international community's recognition of China's achievements in the development of intellectual property in recent years.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2024 AIPPI World Congress, emphasizing China's strong commitment to intellectual property rights protection. Xi stated that China is willing to collaborate with all parties to further strengthen cooperation, offering Chinese insights and solutions to foster an international environment conducive to innovation and development.
"It's very encouraging, the remarks we heard today in the speeches. It's the first time this event is in China [and] it gives China the opportunity to educate the world on how China is improving its IP environment and to integrate more into the international community," said Ahmed G. Abou Ali, president of the Egyptian Association for the Protection of IP.
This year's event brings together more than 2,000 IP leaders and experts from 92 countries and regions, emphasizing professionalism and diversity with over 30 seminars and forums. There will be in-depth discussions on IP protection in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals and e-commerce.
A major highlight is the dedicated China session, showcasing the nation's latest developments and historic achievements in IP examination and protection, sharing China's insights with the world.
"China is now the leader in filing of many IP rights, patents, design rights. What led us here is impressive, I think the level will be held. I think China will continue to play a leading role in global IP rights," said Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Freischem, secretary general of the German Association for GRUR.
This year's AIPPI World Congress will also foster exchange and cooperation between the Chinese and international intellectual property communities, marking a new starting point for China's further participation in global intellectual property governance.
2024 AIPPI World Congress opens in Hangzhou
2024 AIPPI World Congress opens in Hangzhou
China's foreign trade has seen robust growth with an expanding network of shipping routes offering freight services to more parts of the world.
The country's goods export and import totaled 32.33 trillion yuan (about 4.57 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first three quarters of 2024, up 5.3 percent year on year, the latest customs data showed. This upward momentum is driven by an ever-expanding international logistics network that ensures efficient shipments and broad reach.
Yantian Port in Shenzhen City handles over one-third of the foreign trade volume in south China's Guangdong Province and makes up more than a quarter of the nation's export to the U.S.
Port managers recently unveiled a new shipping route map, highlighting the addition of 16 new routes in the first nine months of this year.
"The new routes mainly cover North America, South America, Australia and the Mediterranean region," said Pang Ning, deputy general manager of the commerce department of Yantian International Container Terminal.
That includes a dedicated route from Shenzhen to Los Angeles established in the second quarter to deal with the surge in cross-border e-commerce shipments, reducing clients' stocking periods to just 3-4 days.
"Our new route accommodates the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce business between the Greater Bay Area and North America. Client shipments have risen from 30-50 containers per week to 50-80 containers per week. Additionally, we have added six new routes across South China," said Mao Wenjun, deputy general manager and marketing director of COSCO Shipping Lines South-China Company.
Guangdong has launched another six projects this year under the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Combined Ports initiative, which connects two different ports within the GBA and integrates the whole trade process of ports, customs, logistics, enterprises and finance, significantly speeding up delivery times.
"Yantian Port's routes under the 'Greater Bay Area Combined Ports' program have rapidly expanded due to strong demand, now totaling 14 routes. In the first three quarters, cargo handled under this model reached 12,000 containers, 4.3 times that of the same period last year," said Huang Wei, deputy chief of the Ship Supervision Section No.1 at Dapeng Customs, a branch of Shenzhen Customs.
In the first three quarters, China recorded trade growth with over 160 countries and regions, with export to ASEAN countries and Belt and Road partner countries rising by 9.4 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively. Emerging markets now account for nearly 64.5 percent of its total import and export.
In the first three quarters, China maintained stable trade with major traditional markets while strengthening ties with emerging markets, leading to continuous improvements in quality and steady growth in scale, making a positive contribution to national economic development," said Xiao Lu, deputy director of the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Foreign Trade.
China's foreign trade grows as shipping network expands
