WIPO Director General Visits Hong Kong SAR, Guangdong Province and Shanghai, Pledges WIPO’s Support to Strengthening IP Ecosystem
December 12, 2023
WIPO Director General Daren Tang concluded on December 10, 2023, a week-long visit to China that took him to Hong Kong SAR (HKSAR), Guangdong Province and Shanghai for a series of meetings and participation in conferences in support of China’s efforts to strengthen its innovation ecosystem.
Business of IP Asia Forum 2023 Tops Hong Kong Agenda
The first leg of the visit was in Hong Kong, where Mr. Tang took part in the annual meeting of the Business of IP Asia Forum 2023 (BIP) which he opened alongside Deputy Financial Secretary of the Government of HKSAR, Mr. Michael Wong Wai-lun, Deputy Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Mr. Lu Pengqi, and Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Mr. Peter Lam.
In a keynote speech 
, Mr. Tang highlighted the importance of the BIP, in particular at this critical time when the world is recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said: “I hope that this forum continues to be an occasion not just to address the commercial, business, trade and financial aspects of intellectual property (IP), but also a global platform to share ideas and perspectives on how IP can drive growth and development not just in Hong Kong and in China, but also across the world.”
Mr. Tang took part in a panel discussion on the theme “Powering Economic Growth Through a Future-Ready IP Policy”, which was chaired by Senior Counsel and Head of Des Voeux Chambers, Ms. Winnie Tam. Panelists included the Chair of the Intellectual Property Rights Experts Group of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, Mr. Antony Rowel S. Barba; the Chairman of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and Director General of the Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mr. Santisouk Phounesavath; and the President of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, Mr. M. Zeki Durak. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of HKSAR, Mr. Algernon Yau, delivered welcome remarks.
In a bilateral meeting with Mr. Lu Pengqi, the Director General exchanged ideas on joint activities that could be undertaken in 2024 as part of WIPO’s support to strengthening China’s innovation ecosystem.
Mr. Tang also met with Mr. John K.C. Lee, Chief Executive of HKSAR, to talk about bilateral cooperation. He pledged WIPO’s support to the Chinese Government’s efforts to build Hong Kong into an international IP trading center. They also agreed on the training needed to build capacity in IP.
The Director General outlined WIPO’s vision and priorities to a group of young innovators at the University of Hong Kong. He addressed three major trends with respect to global IP developments: IP is now global and not limited to one group of countries, the transformative nature of digital technologies, and current challenges to multilateralism.
Four young entrepreneurs presented their projects and interacted with the Director General on the challenges of taking their ideas to the market. This led to an enriching conversation on the challenges of financing innovation, which WIPO has started to discuss with its member states.
Strengthening WIPO’s IP Collaboration in Guangdong
During his first visit to Guangdong Province as WIPO Director General from December 8-9, 2023, Mr. Tang met with Guangdong Governor, Mr. Wang Weizhong, and attended the signing of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) cooperation agreement in IP between WIPO and the Guangdong High People’s Court. He also held discussions with Supreme People’s Court Vice President, Ms.Tao Kaiyuan, and Guangdong High People’s Court President, Mr. Zhang Haibo, highlighting WIPO’s focus on IP dispute resolution and collaboration in the region.
Mr. Tang lauded China’s IP performance, with top rankings in patent, trademark, and design applications, and its 12th position in WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2023. Guangdong Province, a symbol of China’s reform and opening up, has been central to this success. The province’s development in IP and its utilization of WIPO’s Global IP Services, particularly in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster – the world’s second-ranked science and technology hub – demonstrates its global impact.
Mr. Wang Weizhong welcomed Mr. Tang’s visit to Guangdong and expressed gratitude for WIPO’s long-term support for Guangdong Province. As a leading province in economy, innovation and IP, Guangdong has ranked first in China for its regional innovation capability for seven consecutive years and has led in the number of valid invention patents for 13 consecutive years.
In recent years, Guangdong has strengthened its cooperation with WIPO, providing support for strengthening IP protection and optimizing the business environment. Guangdong looks forward to engaging in closer, deeper, and more pragmatic cooperation with WIPO, to explore effective paths for IP protection and innovative development, establish itself as a preferred seat for resolving IP disputes, and foster a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment and innovation ecosystem.
On December 9, Mr. Tang witnessed the signing of the Cooperation Agreement on ADR in the Area of IP between the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and the Guangdong High People’s Court. Ms. Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of WIPO, delivered an opening speech at the Ceremony.
Ms. Wang commended Guangdong's achievements in IP, marking the province's dynamic IP ecosystem. She endorsed the cooperation between the Guangdong High People’s Court and WIPO's Arbitration and Mediation Center for IP ADR. This arrangement enables eight Guangdong courts to refer international IP disputes, including those involving Hong Kong and Macao, to WIPO's Shanghai Center. This collaboration is poised to offer efficient ADR solutions, bolstering IP and innovation development in Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area.
At the signing ceremony, Ms. Tao Kaiyuan, Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), discussed the cooperation between the SPC and WIPO since the 2017 memorandum of understanding (MoU). Ms. Tao highlighted the SPC’s role in facilitating collaborations between High People’s Courts in Shanghai, Fujian, Hainan, and Guangdong with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service. She expressed confidence that the partnership between the Guangdong High People’s Court and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center will enhance IP dispute resolution and raise the profile of WIPO’s ADR mechanism.
Ms. Yuan Gujie from the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee emphasized Guangdong’s commitment to IP protection, noting that the collaboration with WIPO will elevate the judicial protection of IP in Guangdong courts to international standards, enrich WIPO’s ADR experiences in China, and provide legal support for Guangdong’s leading role in advancing China’s path to modernization.
During his meeting with Vice President Tao Kaiyuan of the SPC, Mr. Tang and Ms. Tao discussed the long-standing cooperation between WIPO and the SPC, especially the MoU signed recently to enhance partnership with a focus on exchanges in IP judicial protection.
In talks with Mr. Zhang Haibo, President of the Guangdong High People’s Court, Mr. Tang expressed confidence in WIPO’ arbitration and mediation services aiding Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area's enterprises in IP dispute resolution. Mr. Zhang committed to strengthening ties with WIPO in IP ADR, indicating a potential increase in Guangdong cases utilizing WIPO’s Shanghai-based services, beneficial for both Chinese and international parties in efficiently resolving disputes.
Bolstering WIPO-Shanghai Bilateral Cooperation
The last leg of the China visit took Mr. Tang to Shanghai on December 9 and 10, 2023, for high-level meetings aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation in the IP sector.
Mr. Tang met with Mr. Chen Jining, Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Mr. Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, to discuss matters relating to IP as well as Mr. Shen Changyu, Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).
In talks, Mr. Tang lauded Shanghai for securing the fifth position in WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2023 top science and technology clusters, acknowledging the city's prowess in IP education and dispute resolution. He noted the success of the WIPO-Tongji University Joint Master’s Program and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service. Mr. Tang also proposed the expansion of WIPO Master's Programs to business and engineering schools in Chinese universities.
Mr. Chen Jining shared Shanghai's aspiration to evolve into a modern international metropolis, concentrating on cultivating an innovative ecosystem. He highlighted the city's dedication to R&D and its pivotal role in global trade and finance.
With the Mayor, Mr. Tang signed a MoU between WIPO and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on joint activities to strengthen the IP ecosystem.
In the meeting with Mr. Shen Changyu, Mr. Tang outlined upcoming activities, including the celebration of China's 30th anniversary of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Mr. Tang also spoke at the 20th Shanghai International Intellectual Property Forum, which was jointly hosted by WIPO, CNIPA and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, with the theme "Strengthening Legal Protection for Intellectual Property, Fueling Innovation-Driven Development of Digital Economy.”