Wang Qishan: Innovation-led nation needs IPR protection

Vice Premier Wang Qishan met with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the Carlyle Group CEO David Rubenstein respectively in Zhongnanhai on May 23.

When meeting with Ballmer, Wang reiterated the importance of intellectual property protection which is the key to build a country into an innovative nation. Chinese government has long been putting a premium on intellectual property development and striving to create a sound investment environment for domestic and foreign enterprises.

Since a software legalization campaign was initiated last year, China has achieved interim progress in eliminating pirated software used by governmental departments. Provincial governmental departments are required to install licensed software to all their computers before the end of this June while governmental departments at municipal and county levels are urged to delete all unauthorized software by the end of December in 2013.

Governmental departments at all levels are requested to incorporate genuine software procurement expenditure into financial budget as well as establish and improve mechanisms on software asset management and audit supervision.

China will exert relentless efforts to ensure the installation of pirated software to computers in governmental departments will not occur any more and will constantly combat illegal software sold in the markets.

Ballmer welcomes the progress made by China in this regard and is eager to expand cooperation with China to boost healthy development of Sino-U.S. economic relationship.

When meeting with Rubenstein, Wang and Rubenstein exchanged views on the scenario of current international economic development and the Sino-U.S. economic relationship. [Chinese version is available on xinhuanet.com]