Li: Safeguards for IPR uphold tech vibrancy

China will continue to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and provide a favorable environment for global innovators and entrepreneurs to ensure that scientific and technological achievements can better benefit China and the world at large, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

Li made the remark in a congratulatory message sent to the Global Future Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Conference held in Beijing, saying that China stands ready to work with the rest of the world to build an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for the development of science and technology.

Given the profoundly evolving regional and international situation as well as the slowdown in global economic growth, it is more necessary than ever for all countries to strengthen inclusive cooperation in science and technology and make innovations so as to jointly deal with global challenges, he said.

The premier said that China's scientific and technological development has benefited from inclusive cooperation, and global progress in science and technology also needs China, noting that China has already established scientific cooperation with more than 160 countries and regions worldwide.

In the future, China will implement a more inclusive and mutually beneficial strategy on international scientific and technological cooperation and take a more open attitude towards promoting global coordination on scientific innovations, he added.

Li said China will also proactively integrate itself into the global innovation network, jointly push for breakthroughs in such areas as fundamental science research and the application of scientific achievements and promote exchanges and visits among researchers.

The event, themed "Technology Empowers the Future, Innovation Leads Development", was attended both online and offline by more than 300 representatives from home and abroad.

Marco Aleman, assistant director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, said in a video speech that China is now a leading country in global innovation and WIPO expects to carry out more in-depth cooperation with China on a wider scale.

Former secretary-general of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon said in a virtual address that China's progress in science and technology as well as its economic growth have made huge contributions in realizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

He expressed hope that China will create a better future for the world through its scientific development.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn