Policy Digest: Nov 15

Autumn grain purchases help boost food security

Companies in the country's major grain-producing areas have purchased over 40 million metric tons of grain from farmers so far this season, further ensuring food security in the nation during the winter, data from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration showed on Saturday.

The administration said that purchasing activities have been brisk, with grain prices remaining relatively stable.

Local governments should provide better services for farmers and safeguard their rights and interests, and strengthen their crackdowns on irregularities to maintain market order, it said.

It also called for efforts to closely monitor the prices of major autumn grain products, including rice, corn and soybeans, and provide region-specific countermeasures against adverse weather.

Measure aims to ensure fairness in bidding process

China will take measures against irregularities in determining the credibility of companies in the bidding process for projects in order to ensure fair market competition, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a notice published on Nov 8.

According to the NDRC, in some places across the country, methods used to determine how projects are awarded may give certain companies unfair advantages in the bidding process. Such methods disrupt fair market competition and hinder the establishment of a unified national market, and they must be curbed, the notice said.

The commission said local authorities must refrain from discriminating against any companies that are bidding for projects and are not allowed to use unauthorized criteria — including consideration of a company's establishment of local branches or its local tax payments — in determining their credibility, the notice said.

It also vowed to strengthen dynamic monitoring over such methods, saying that any violations that are uncovered will be investigated and made public. The commission said in the notice that it will work with relevant departments to promote the establishment of a unified credibility evaluation system for project bidders.

Nation making strides in intellectual property growth

The number of valid invention patents in China has exceeded 4.8 million, while that of invention trademarks reached 45.1 million as of September, the National Intellectual Property Administration said on Nov 8.

China has established itself as a leading region for intellectual property development, Shen Changyu, head of the NIPA, said at a news conference, adding that China has ranked first in the world for the number of international patent applications through the Patent Cooperation Treaty for four consecutive years.

According to Shen, the added value of patent-intensive industries and the copyright industry accounted for 12.44 percent and 7.41 percent of GDP, respectively, strongly promoting the high-quality development of the economy.

Shen said China has been continuously strengthening its efforts to protect IP rights. China has established a high-standard punitive compensation system for any infringement of IP rights; has built 103 national IP protection centers and rapid rights protection centers; and initiated the construction of national IP protection demonstration zones, he said.

In addition, China has continued to deepen international cooperation and exchanges on IP. The nation has promoted the mutual recognition and protection of 244 geographical indication products between China and the European Union, he added.