WIPO China: Molding Fair Policies to Bridge the Digital Divide

November 24, 2023

Hangzhou, November 24 - The Forum on International Governance of Intellectual Property in Digital Economy, a featured event at the 2nd Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE) was held in Hangzhou. Ms. Liu Hua, Director of the WIPO Office in China, delivered an opening speech via video.

Liu Hua pointed out that we are riding the crest of the Digital Age and Deep Science, in the thick of breakthroughs in AI, biotech, and nanotech. But as we marvel at these advancements, there's a digital divide that cannot be ignored. And this is where the role of intellectual property (IP) policies becomes crucial. We need to mold these policies to ensure that they're not just fair but that they actively help bridge this divide.

Liu Hua commended China’s digital economy as a powerhouse, as well as the performance in innovation and technology advancement. China secures the 12th spot in the Global Innovation Index, and boasts 24 of the world's top 100 science and technology clusters.

The GDTE is China's only national-level international exhibition with the theme of digital trade. As part of the GDTE, the Forum on International Governance of Intellectual Property in Digital Economy focused on frontier areas such as the digital economy and global IP governance, narrating Chinese IP stories of and raising the international level of IP protection. Representatives from China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the Supreme People's Court, Zhejiang University, Alibaba International Digital Commerce, Ant Group, Osha Liang LLP and Clarivate Analytics delivered keynote speeches.