TOKYO (AFP) — Japan and China on Sunday agreed to launch annual talks on jointly cracking down on copyright infringement and trademark piracy, the Japanese trade ministry said.
A memorandum of understanding was exchanged between Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai and his Chinese counterpart, Commerce Minister Chen Deming at a Tokyo hotel.
"It is very significant that we exchanged a memorandum of understanding today on intellectual property rights... as this is an issue of international interest," Nikai told reporters after a 50-minute meeting with Chen.
"This memorandum does not solve everything but we will set up a working group soon for detailed talks," he said.
"I want a forum to be joined by companies as well as academics so that we will be able to achieve concrete results."
The memorandum says the talks will be at the level of senior officials and hosted alternately by the two countries.
The first round of talks are expected later this year, a Japanese official said.
Japanese companies have protested about factories in China that produce fake products ranging from DVDs and fashion items to perfumes and electronics.
Tokyo hopes the talks, which will include Japanese officials from the police and the technology and science ministry if necessary, will put it in a stronger position to tackle the counterfeiting issue.
Japan had dispatched public-private missions to China since 2002 and lodged protests unilaterally but the new talks will realise "home and away negotiations" to improve the situation, an official said.
The talks will also cover stricter punishment for copyright infringement and counterfeit production, he said.
The agreement came on the sidelines of a broader economic dialogue between top officials from the two nations.
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