IP bingle as senior Chinese delegation heads to CeBIT

FEDERAL Trade Minister Warren Truss has threatened to complain to the WTO about intellectual property protection in China less than two weeks before a senior Chinese information technology delegation arrives in Australia.

Deputy Minister Lou Qinjian from the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) will lead a group of eight senior ministry officials, joining a second group of senior executives from Chinese firms in a delegation from the China Electronic Chamber of Commerce (CECC) to the CeBIT Australia conference and exhibition at Darling Harbour in Sydney from May 1-3.

Minister Lou and the MII delegates will conduct high-level meetings with the officials from the Department of Communications, IT and the Arts, and the NSW government.

Both MII delegates and the CECC will also conduct closed-door meetings with members of the Australian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (AEEMA).

But the Chinese arrive in Australia just as Trade Minister Warren Truss said government is considering joining the United States in lodging complaints with the World Trade Organisation over the intellectual property protection issues in China.

Mr Truss told the ABC last week the US was clearly becoming more aggressive in its trading relationship with China and that Australia may join the US in its complaint to the WTO.

The Minister is in Beijing this week and will meet with China’s Commerce Minister Bo Xilai. He will also co-chair the High-level Economic Cooperation Dialogue (HECD) with the chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

Mr Truss will also attend the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference and participate in a panel on Accelerating Asian Growth: Evolution of the Asian Economic Community.\

Styled as an Asian Davos, the BFA is a forum for senior government, business and academic representatives to debate major economic, social and environmental issues facing Asia.

Intellectual property in China is a hot topic right now, and the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) is organising a series of seminars to be held in Australian capital cities in May.

Austrade has partnered with IP Australia to present the ' View in 2007: Intellectual property and new markets in China' seminars in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth starting on May 7.

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Truss talks tough on China’s IP record

JUST as Australian Trade Minister Warren Truss stepped into a growing fight between the US and China over intellectual property, Austrade has announced a series of seminars for Australian companies on protecting IP rights in China.

Mr Truss said last week that Australia was considering joining the US in lodging complaints against China with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over IP infringements.

Mr Truss will travel to China this week to co-chair a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Dialogue, and to meet with China’s Commerce Minister.

Austrade said last week that it had teamed with IP Australia to host ‘View in 2007: Intellectual Property and new markets in China’, a seminar series that will provide exporters with updated perspectives on IP from experts direct from the coalface in China.

The day-long seminars will be held through May at various locations around the country, including Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Speakers will include Mr Truss, as well as Australia’s senior Trade Commissioner to China Peter Osborne, Rouse and Co International manager Anna Booy, and Day Consultants founder Mark Day.

Exporters will also be able to network with speakers and get their questions answered by representatives from Austrade, IP Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Attorney General's Department as well as Australian exporters with current in-market experience.

Meanwhile, one of the nation’s most powerful business lobbies, the Australian Industry Group has backed Mr Truss statement on joining the US in complaining about China to the WTO.

“A lack of enforcement arrangements against IP infringement in China is a critical issue faced by Australian companies in their dealings in China,” Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout said.

“As a member of the multilateral trading structure, China must meet its WTO commitments on IP and this issue, along with China's undervalued currency, has been central to all the discussions with China over recent years.”

“(The Australian Industry) Group has also suggested to the Australian Government that a consultative mechanism be established now so that IP infringement matters can also be addressed at senior administrative government levels in the context of the Australia-China FTA negotiations,” she said.


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