China's piracy of intellectual property remains "unacceptably high," the US Trade Representative's Office said on Friday, citing a special review of China's intellectual property rights enforcement. In a report, the USTR said it plans "to work with US industry and other stakeholders to further build a factual record to develop arguments ... toward utilising World Trade Organisation procedures to bring China into compliance" with its WTO agreements on intellectual property rights.
The trade agency also said it would closely monitor China's activities on intellectual property rights "throughout the coming year."
China is being elevated to a special watch list "for failure to effectively protect intellectual property rights and to meet its commitment to significantly reduce infringement levels," acting US Trade Representative Peter Allgeier said in a statement.