High-tech awards given out yesterday underlined the need for Chinese enterprises to develop the information technology and enhance their awareness of intellectual property rights (IPR).

"To seek a firm foothold in global competition, domestic enterprises should strive to develop more leading technologies," said Lou Qinjian, vice-minister of Information Industry.

Also, enterprises should adjust their corporate structures to better meet market demands domestically and overseas, he added.

Lou made the remarks yesterday while recognizing the leading technologies of six companies, including Futong Group, Datang Microelectronics Technology Co Ltd and Beijing Founder Electronics Co Ltd.

The annual award was launched by the ministry in 2001 to encourage high technology development.

The technologies provided by the six companies were singled out from among 53 submitted by 45 enterprises and organizations this year.

"The six technologies are novel, leading, feasible and have their own patents," said Wu Hequan, deputy-director of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who is also vice-director of the appraisal panel.

"Our major target for this kind of award is to encourage more and more enterprises to develop key technologies in their own areas," Wu said.

Analysts said many foreign transnational companies take a leading position in the Chinese market thanks to their abundant capital and advanced technologies.

"Those technologies they mastered help them gain the upper hand," Lou said.

To compete globally, Lou said the ministry will strive to hammer out a good environment with favourable policies.

"Meanwhile, we will continue to place more stress on IPR protection," he said. "We will continue to defend the benefits of patent holders."

Lou also said domestic firms should study IPR related laws and regulations to not only abide by the rules but take advantage of them to bolster domestic industries.

Figures from the ministry show China's IT industry developed considerably despite the impact of the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in the spring.

Between January and October of this year, the sector had an industrial output of more than 5.3 trillion yuan (US$638 billion), accounting from 5.7 per cent of the national gross domestic product.

According to Lou, imports in the IT sector rose by 50 per cent in the first 10 months of the year compared with last year, while the growth from exports was 45 per cent at the same time.

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