Frontier Chinese technology benefits global intellectual property system: WIPO

Frontier Chinese technologies are having a profound impact on the global intellectual property system, a leading official with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said during the 7th Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai.

On November 6, the forum held its Parallel Session of International Cooperation in Protecting IPR and Fighting against IPR Infringement and Counterfeiting at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Edward Kwakwa, WIPO assistant director general, said that in the fast-developing landscape of emerging technologies, the intellectual property ecosystem is facing many challenges, including how to engage young individuals in the intellectual property system and establish widespread respect for intellectual property across society.

Intellectual property governance is also key realizing the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, as innovators need to know their patents will be protected globally.

The assistant director-general called for enhanced negotiation and cooperation among the international community.

"It's clear the one thing driving the intellectual property ecosystem is, let's say, frontier technologies. But these frontier technologies include artificial intelligence, they include blockchain, they include the Internet of Things. In WIPO, what we are trying to do is trying to use these frontier technologies to meet some of the challenges we have in this day and age, as we have established what we call a conversation on artificial intelligence. So through these conversations involving all our 193 member states, they come together to share experiences and to discuss how best the international community can tackle these areas," he said.

During the forum, WIPO lauded China for its accomplishments in intellectual property protection.

The 2024 Global Innovation Index report, released by WIPO, revealed China's continued rise in global innovation rankings, moving up to 11th position.

"China now is the top user of our registration system in patents. China is also the second when it comes to trademarks and then when it comes to designs, very active, so China has become probably one of the most important of our 193 member states. And what the government of China is doing in China is having very important effect on the global intellectual property system," said Kwakwa.

The Hongqiao International Economic Forum is an important part of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) that is running from Tuesday to Sunday.

The 7th CIIE, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday, has attracted 3,496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions this year. The event also marks a significant milestone with the participation of 297 Fortune Global 500 companies and leading industry players from around the world.

Frontier Chinese technology benefits global intellectual property system: WIPO

Frontier Chinese technology benefits global intellectual property system: WIPO

A new chapter has been opened in the decades-old campaign of fighting desertification in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as the 3,046-km green belt encircling the Taklimakan Desert in the region was completed on November 28, 2024.

The Taklimakan Desert, once known as the "sea of death," covers 337,600 square kilometers and its circumference measures 3,046 km, making it the largest desert in China and the second-largest drifting desert in the world.

It has taken more than 40 years to fully enclose the desert with a green belt. This incredible achievement is part of China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the world's largest afforestation initiative. The program was launched in 1978 and is scheduled to be completed by 2050.

Xinjiang's commitment to fighting desertification did not waver following the green belt's completion. Instead, the region is continuing to expand and fortify the belt to achieve broader ecological management objectives.

Despite subzero temperatures and recent snowfall, the relentless work at the sand control site persists.

In Yutian County on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are busy leveling a 530-hectare piece of sandy land for the forthcoming ecological conservation endeavors.

"It's been almost a month, and we'll work for another three or four days, and then we'll have leveled it out here," said a bulldozer driver working on-site.

In Luopu County also on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are preparing red willow branches in nurseries for planting across more than 400 hectares of desert in the coming spring. Indigenous sand-fixing plants like sacsaoul and red willow are poised to assume important roles in fighting desertification the upcoming year.

The green belt surrounding the Taklimakan Desert not only emphasizes ecological conservation but also highlights economic progress. Through photovoltaic projects, the region is pioneering a novel ecological management strategy aimed at achieving dual objectives of environmental preservation and economic prosperity. This approach not only aids in fighting desertification, but also promises economic benefits, propelling sustainable development in the area.

Presently, the construction of a photovoltaic project within the Taklimakan Desert is busy underway, with workers installing solar panels. By spring, sand fixing plants like alfalfa and Chinese fountain grass will be planted below these panels, making the project a good example for the exploration of a new win-win model of ecological governance and economic development in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang opens new chapter in fighting desertification