White House officials welcomed new intellectual property protections unveiled by China, claiming they represent a victory for President Trump’s tough trade line and work by his chief science adviser to protect research secrets.
American companies have long chafed at having to give up trade secrets as the cost of doing business in China. The issue has been a sticking point as the two countries try to end a costly trade war.
The new measures, announced on Wednesday by Ning Jizhe, the vice chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, will set up a punitive system of damages for infringements of intellectual property.
They are due to come into force on Jan. 1, 2020, after receiving a positive response from Washington, said Ning, according to the South China Morning Post.
“We were negotiating on an equal base,” he said. “The reaction was very good.”
The theft of intellectual property has been one of the most difficult issues to resolve between the two countries.
A survey earlier this year found that one in five American companies operating in China had complained of losing secrets, and U.S. officials say the economic cost could be as much as $1 trillion.
A senior Trump administration official said the new laws vindicated the approach of the president and Kelvin Droegemeier, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“China’s intellectual property theft is real, damaging, and ending thanks to President Trump’s strong trade actions and his OSTP director’s focus on ending abuses in our open society’s education and research systems,” said the official.
The two sides are working toward producing a draft to be signed by Trump and Xi Jinping, the Chinese premier, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile next month.
