China launches campaign to protect foreign intellectual property rights as US probes alleged thefts

China has launched a four-month campaign to protect the intellectual property rights of foreign businesses, a move that may alleviate a major concern among foreign investors on the mainland and appease Washington ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing.

The Trump administration last month officially launched a probe into alleged Chinese intellectual property theft and the findings could lead to the US imposing tariffs on Chinese products – potentially triggering a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, told the South China Morning Post in an interview in Hong Kong last week that Washington would release the results of the probe before a Sino-US summit in Beijing so both sides can reset trade with “a whole series of negotiations”.

It is the first time the Chinese government has started a nationwide campaign to protect foreign businesses’ intellectual property. The drive, which runs from this month to the end of December, is designed to “create a level playground”, protect investors’ legitimate interests and “further increase foreign investment”, according to a notice released by the Ministry of Commerce earlier this week.