NDRC: IPR protection to be improved

China will take further action to boost intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and improve its investment environment to shore up cooperation with the European Union (EU), a senior official said.

The remarks were made by Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Xu Xianping prior to Vice Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Spain, Germany and Britain that started Tuesday.

Stressing that mutual understanding and reciprocal industrial and investment cooperation are crucial for China-EU ties, Vice Chairman of NDRC's Xu said China seeks to step up cooperation by creating more favorable conditions to reinvigorate their economies as well as upgrade and transform industries.

Xu said that deepening high-level, multi-faceted cooperation in industrial investment could serve as an important springboard for consolidating and developing the China-EU strategic partnership.

The official urged the EU to ease restrictions on high-tech exports to China and recognize China's full market economy status at an earlier date.