China targets counterfeit goods

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities will target counterfeit and inferior medicines, fertilizers and seeds in the remaining months of the year as part of its crackdown, Vice-Premier Wang Qishan said Tuesday.

Wang said at a conference that counterfeit and inferior products were of public concern and affected people's livelihoods, which required prompt solutions.

The fight remained critical in the battle against counterfeit and inferior goods, said Wang.

The crackdown will also cover infringements of intellectual property rights, or IPRs, and the sale of such products on the Internet.

To protect IPRs, Wang said the Chinese government has equipped provincial agencies with genuine software. He pledged to expand the project to cover county-level governments, more State-owned enterprises and major financial institutions.