BIZCHINA / Biz Who

IPR moves impress US official
By Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-07-31 14:56

Sitting atop a Harley Davidson motorcycle in a franchise store in Beijing, visiting US Under Secretary for International Trade Franklin L. Lavin said he wished to have one of his own someday.


US Under Secretary for International Trade Franklin L. Lavin sits atop a Harley Davidson motorcycle at the first Harley Davidson dealership in Beijing, July 29, 2006. [AP Photo]

 

Lavin described himself as a great fan of the motorcycle, but said being a government employee, he could hardly afford one.

He stopped in the store while on a five-day working visit to China, which is scheduled to end today.

Referring to counterfeiting in China, Lavin told reporters in the motor shop on Saturday that the Chinese Government is taking many effective measures on intellectual property rights (IPR) this year and "we are working closely" to resolve the issue.

He said there is an increasing recognition in China that to develop a strong company, one needs to depend on IPR, reaffirming Washington's willingness to co-operate with China in tackling IPR infringements.

Prior to his trip to Beijing, Lavin visited China's business hub of Shanghai and predicted that China is set to overtake Japan this year as America's third-largest export market.
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