How to speed up the development of China's intellectual property strategy became the central issue discussed by the 300 people attending the two-day National Intellectual Property Strategy Forum in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province.

During Wednesday and Thursday of this week, officials, experts and enterprise representatives expressed their views and exchanged opinions at the forum.

"After China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), we are confronted with more challenges in the field of intellectual property," said Zhang Qing, vice-president of the State Intellectual Property Bureau.

He gave the example that nowadays, more and more Chinese enterprises are facing patent disputes brought by foreign companies, particularly in connection with DVDs, digital cameras, and other electronic devices.

"Therefore, we must on the one hand obey the international rules, and on the other hand translate scientific discoveries into commercial products with the guidance of the intellectual property strategy," Zhang said.

Most officials and experts thought China's intellectual property system was still in the formative stage, and many enterprises were not fully conscious of the importance of intellectual property.

According to Wang Xinnong from the research office of the Jiangsu provincial government, there were altogether 6,185 enterprises that had applied for patents in Jiangsu Province, which only account for 3 per cent of the total number.

"How much intellectual property a country will possess is finally decided by its educational level," said Chen Meizhang, a professor from Peking University.

She urged the government to perfect the legal system and related policies dealing with intellectual property.

(China Daily November 28, 2003)