Vice-Premier Wu Yi told US officials and business people Thursday in Beijing that China is resolved to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) and the officials should confide in China's IPR protection.

Wu Yi briefed the roundtable conference hosted by the US embassy in China about China's achievements on the protection of IPR last year.

US Secretary of Commerce, Donald Evans, attended the conference, which was also held in 2003 and 2004, at a proposal by US Ambassador to China, Clark T. Randt.

China formed a cross-ministry IPR protection working group last year with Wu Yi as head. Comprising a dozen ministries of the State Council, or China's cabinet, the group launched a year-long specialized action from last September to crack down on infringement of IPR nationwide.

In two months following the action, Wu said Chinese police investigated more than 1,000 cases related to IPR infringement, involving 550 million yuan (about 66.5 million US dollars).

In addition, Chinese administrative authorities handled more than 9,800 IPR-related cases and confiscated more 10 billion pieces of fake good.

Wu also listed China's legal interpretation of the criminal penalty on IPR infringement that was adopted by the National People's Congress (NPC) at the end of 2004. The interpretation greatly lowered the benchmark for criminal punishment and provided an effective means in the fight against IPR violation, acknowledged the vice-premier.

Wu Yi said it will take a long time to fundamentally change the situation of IPR protection in China.

"The establishment and improvement of IPR protection system cannot be completed overnight, especially in a country of 1.3 billion people with one of lower economic and technological level," she said. "The government needs to work with the business circle and consumers very hard for a long period of time."

Wu Yi said she hopes that the US government and companies would understand this and have confidence in the development of China's IPR protection.

Lax IPR enforcement constitutes a major issue between the United States and China. The two countries set up an IPR working group last year and reached a consensus on IPR protection.

Wu pledged China will continue to work with all countries and international organizations the world over to help protect IPR.