US-China Business Council Statement on WTO Cases Against China

WASHINGTON, DC April 9, 2007 - John Frisbie, president of the US-China Business Council (USCBC), issued the following statement in response to the United States' filing of dispute settlement cases at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China's intellectual property rights (IPR) regime and related market access barriers:

"These cases are well-focused and should be viewed as a normal part of WTO membership. We support the US government's efforts to seek improvements in China's legal code and market access for US copyrighted products. We encourage the two sides to continue their dialogue and resolve this important issue as quickly as possible."

"China's WTO entry in 2001 has brought rapid growth in US exports to China. Less realized is that it has also given the United States and China access to a neutral, fact-based dispute resolution process when bilateral discussions fail."

"Improving IPR protection in China is needed not only to curb a problem affecting US companies, but is also in China's own interests to develop its innovative capabilities and to protect the rights and safety of its consumers. China has been making greater efforts to improve its IPR environment, with some successes, but much more must be done."

The USCBC submitted recommendations to the PRC government in 2006 proposing changes to China's IPR legal regime: http://www.uschina.org/public/documents/2006/08/ipr-law-changes-english.pdf

For more background on IPR issues in China and USCBC positions, please visit http://www.uschina.org/info/ipr/

The USCBC (www.uschina.org) is the leading organization of US companies engaged in business with the People's Republic of China. Founded in 1973, the USCBC provides extensive China-focused information, advisory, and advocacy services, along with comprehensive events, to nearly 250 US corporations operating within the United States and throughout Asia.