BEIJING, July 13 (INP): The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has issued a statement on relevant issues, expounding China's solemn position and refuting the US public opinion. This was stated by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying at a regular Press Conference on Friday. She said, “The US has repeatedly accused China of "theft" of intellectual property rights, but it has never produced strong evidence. Facts speak louder than words. According to statistics, the number of innovative enterprises in China has ranked second in the world. The number of patent applications filed by China through the Patent Cooperation Treaty is second only to the United States, ranking second in the world. In December 2017, the World Intellectual Property Index released by the World Intellectual Property Organization showed that the number of invention patent applications accepted by the State Intellectual Property Office of China exceeded 1.3 million, ranking first in the world for seven consecutive years, surpassing the United States, Japan, and South Korea. And the sum of the European Patent Office. China is expected to become the world's largest international patent applicant in the next three years. All these indicate that China has become a big country that independently creates intellectual property rights. At the same time, the use of intellectual property fees for external payments in China last year has reached 28.6 billion US dollars, with a deficit of more than 20 billion US dollars. Among them, the payment of intellectual property fees in the United States increased by 14% year-on-year. These figures and facts have effectively replied to the unwarranted accusation of the so-called Chinese theft of intellectual property rights from one side, indicating that China's attitude of respecting and protecting intellectual property rights is serious and actions are effective. According to the latest global innovation index released by the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization, China has entered the list of the 20 most innovative economies in the world for the first time and is the only middle-income country to enter the top 20. In terms of investment, China ranks second in the world in terms of absolute value of human capital and R&D investment. From the perspective of output, China is the country with the largest number of patent applications, the largest number of scientific publications, and the largest number of scientific workers and R&D personnel. China is gradually becoming a leader in global innovation and branding.” She also emphasized once again that innovation and intellectual property are by no means exclusive US patents. The application of intellectual property rights and the promotion of economic and social progress are not exclusive rights of the United States. Innovation and intellectual property rights should serve the progress and well-being of all mankind, and should not be a tool for the United States to suppress the development of other countries and maintain their own self-interest.