The United States on Monday requested that the World Trade
Organization (WTO) establish a dispute settlement panel to review
so-called China's deficiencies in intellectual property rights
protection.
"The United States and China have tried, through formal
consultations over the last three months, to resolve differences
arising from US concerns about inadequate protection of
intellectual property rights in China," said US Trade
Representative (USTR) Spokesman Sean Spicer.
"That dialogue has not generated solutions regarding issues we
have raised, so we are asking the WTO to form a panel to settle
this dispute," he added.
"We will pursue this legal dispute in the WTO and will continue
to work with China bilaterally on other important IPR issues," he
continued.
The US initiated the dispute over so-called China's deficiencies
in IPR protection by requesting consultations with China on April
10, 2007.
Under WTO rules, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) will
consider the US request to establish a settlement panel at its next
meeting on August 31.
(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2007)
