BEIJING — China on April 20 launched the National Intellectual Property Publicity (IP) Week 2020, with online activities focusing on the country's latest progress in IP protection.

It is China's 12th annual IP week. Themed "Intellectual Property and Healthy China," this year's activities will also highlight the efforts against the COVID-19 epidemic, said Shen Changyu, head of the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA), in a video message broadcast at the launch.

Through online activities, the public will know how the government implements IP-related policies and measures to prevent the epidemic, step up research and promote innovative development in health care, Shen said.

Francis Gurry, Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization, said in a video message delivered to the launch that China has been consistently a constructive member of the international intellectual property community. He acknowledged that the Chinese government has taken many measures to encourage its companies to strengthen the creation, protection and use of intellectual property rights.

More than 40 activities will be held this week, including a NIPA press conference on China's IP development in 2019, the Supreme People's Court releasing an annual IP report, and the Ministry of Public Security unveiling typical cases about the crackdown on IP-related crimes.