China is increasing intellectual property right protection to meet international demands and benefit China's economic development, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan at Tuesday's regular press conference.??

He made the remark when asked to comment on the forthcoming Sino-US roundtable meeting on intellectual property right protection. US Secretary of Commerce Donald Louis Evans will attend the meeting, which will be held on Thursday.

 

Evans arrived in Beijing Tuesday afternoon. Besides attending the IPR roundtable conference, he will also meet Chinese leaders and confer with relevant Chinese ministries and commissions on Sino-US trade and economic relations and other related issues, Kong said.

 

The Sino-US economic and trade cooperation benefits both sides, Kong said. From January to November 2004, bilateral trade volume reached US$152.7 billion, up 34 percent. This is almost equal to the growth rate of China's total foreign trade volume.

 

With expanding cooperation with the US, China hopes bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the new year will make new progress through joint efforts, Kong said.

 

Kong announced Vice President Zeng Qinghong will pay an official visit from January 23 to February 3 to five Latin American and Caribbean nations including Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica.

 

He said Zeng will visit these countries at the invitation of the Mexican and Jamaican governments, Peruvian Vice President David Waisman Rjavinsthi, Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, and Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago.

 

During his visits, Zeng will also attend the opening ceremony of the first Ministerial-level Meeting of the China-Caribbean Economy and Trade Cooperation Forum on February 2 in Kingston, capital of Jamaica.

 

Kong also announced at the invitation of Premier Wen Jiabao, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is to visit China from January 20 to 23, and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to visit China from January 17 to 22.

 

(Xinhua News Agency, CRI.com January 12, 2005)