Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become a major force in promoting China's science and technology innovation, which take up over 65 percent of the country's invention patents, a senior official has said.

Li Yuguang, deputy head of the State Intellectual Property Office, told a seminar on intellectual property rights (IPR) held in Beijing that more than 80 percent of China's new products were from the SMEs, according to the Science and Technology Daily on Friday.

However, the SMEs generally lack awareness of IPR protection, with 80.2 percent of them having no IPR department, according to Li.

Yin Xintian, a spokesman with the office, told a press conference Thursday that China was making progress in its battle to protect IPR with better implementation of relevant laws and regulations.

However, "in merely 20-odd years it is impossible for China to establish IPR protection awareness similar to that of Western countries," Yin said.

Last week, guidelines on a national IPR strategy were approved at an executive meeting of China's State Council presided by Premier Wen Jiabao.

The strategy includes greater efforts to crack down on IPR infringement, safeguard market order and the legal rights of the public, strengthen international cooperation, adherence to international practice, and efforts to raise public awareness, according to Yin.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2008)