The protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is not only China's international commitment but also its need for improvement of innovation ability, said Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi on Thursday in Beijing.

Wu made the remarks in a meeting with Eric Smith, president of the U.S.International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA).

She said the Chinese government attaches great importance to IPR protection and has really done a lot in this regard.

"China has created a whole system on IPR protection that accords with international rules and adapts to China's situations, " said Wu.

Noting China and the U.S. have strengthened cooperation and exchanges in recent years, Wu said the two sides still have some differences in some aspects. "We should deal with the IPR problems between us from a strategic and long-term perspective," she said.

Smith appreciated China's efforts on improving IPR protection.

"China has certainly come a long way in a short time in building a legal infrastructure for a modern IPR protection system," he said.

Smith has had meetings and discussions with Chinese officials with the National Copyright Administration, State Intellectual Property Office and the Ministry of Commerce.

He suggested that China should increase effective criminal enforcement and at the same time improve access to legitimate products to its market to better meet its goals of IPR protection.

The IIPA is a private sector coalition of seven trade associations which represents over 1,900 companies producing and distributing materials protected by copyright laws throughout the world.

Source: Xinhua