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Shen Changyu and Houmphanh Intharath signed the MoU on cooperation in the field of IP between China and Lao PDR. Photo by Han Guoqing
On April 2, SIPO Commissioner Shen Changyu had a high-level meeting with Houmphanh Intharath, President of the National Science and Technology Committee and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Lao PDR. The two parties launched an in-depth discussion on establishing and exploring bilateral IP cooperation and signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Intellectual Property between the Ministry of Science And Technology of The Lao People's Democratic Republic and the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China. Boviengkham Vongdara, Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology and President of the National Academy of Sciences of Lao PDR attended the signing ceremony. According to the MoU, Lao PDR would recognize patent examination results of China.
Shen noted that the two parties' cooperation within the frameworks of the "Belt and Road" IP cooperation, China-ASEAN IP cooperation and in relation to the training of patent examiners had achieved positive results in recent years and it was significant to establish a formal bilateral IP partnership. The signature of the MoU was an important milestone for the IP cooperation between China and Lao PDR and would strongly support the cooperation in IP policy sharing, patent examination cooperation, training, information exchange and IT system. The recognition of patent examination results of China by the Lao PDR symbolized the high acceptance for patent examination quality of China and strong mutual trust for China and Laos in the IP field and would further attract investment from Chinese innovative enterprises to the Lao PDR. Shen believed that through the establishment of IP cooperation between China and Laos, the two parties would improve mutual trust and communication in IP field, jointly promote IP development of the two countries and make greater contribution to scientific and technological innovation and economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Intharath said that the MoU was the first framework agreement on IP cooperation for the two countries. Recognizing invention patent examination results of China reflected the great importance attached by the Lao PDR to the bilateral IP cooperation. He hoped that under the guidance of the MoU, the parties would have more extensive communication and dialogue in the IP field and China would lend more support in strengthening capacity building and training to the Lao IP authority, and promote the development of the IP system and make contribution to the socio-economic and trade development and to the exchanges in scientific and technology. （by Qiu Junchang）
（Editor Li Xingyi）
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