China will host a global forum this month on intellectual property rights (IPR) which is being co-sponsored by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the US Chamber of Commerce.

IPR protection is a global issue and disputes can occur in both developing and developed countries, said Zhao Zhenge, deputy director general of CCPIT.

"By holding this forum, we want to tell the world that the government and Chinese companies have been making efforts to protect IPR," he said.

Zhao also complained that some countries have established technology monopolies and abuse IPR protocols and regulations.

IPR protection has remained a major topic in trade discussions between China and the U.S. China has taken a series of measures to improve IPR protection, while the U.S. says China should be doing more.

"Currently, the key issues in IPR protection, which are a concern for both parties, are pirating, property rights and patents," he said.

Since China's entry the WTO in 2001, Chinese companies have lost IPR disputes worth more than a billion U.S. Some of the major disputes involve motion picture copying and makers of televisions, digital cameras, cars, MP3 chips, and motorcycles.

The Global Forum on Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Innovation, will be held here between March 27 and 28.

The forum will be attended by senior corporate experts and high-level government officials from China, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Korea, India and other countries.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2007)