BEIJING — China has deepened its international cooperation in the field of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, becoming an active proponent of international rules for IPR, said an official with the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) on Dec 8.

In summarizing the country's achievements in international cooperation on IPR, Hu Wenhui, a spokesperson for the NIPA, highlighted that China has made decisive progress in joining the Hague Agreement for the international registration of industrial designs, a mechanism aimed at boosting intellectual property protection.

"China has successfully promoted the renminbi as the pricing and settlement currency of international expenses related to the Patent Cooperation Treaty," Hu said, adding that Chinese has become the working language of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.

Another example, Hu said, is that China has implemented the China-EU Agreement on Geographical Indications, with 244 China-EU geographical indications (GIs) being mutually recognized and protected.

A GI shows a product has a specific geographical origin and possesses qualities or a reputation due to that origin. It can be seen as a quality guarantee that distinguishes it from its competitors.

To offer guidance to Chinese entities on resolving overseas intellectual property disputes, China has also established 22 centers worldwide, handling over 480 cases to date, according to the NIPA.