Workers pick vine tea leaves in Laifeng County, central China's Hubei Province, May 23, 2018. Laifeng vine tea, made from vine leaves of ampelopsis plants, has been recognized as a national geographical indication product in 2013. (Xinhua/Song Wen)
BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China has approved 2,473 geographical indication (GI) products and seen 6,209 GI trademarks registered as of the end of March, according to the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA).
In the first quarter of 2021, more than 1,400 enterprises were granted permission to use the GIs, up 669 percent year on year.
As a type of intellectual property that indicates the geographical origin, reputation and other characteristics of a product, GI is important for enhancing the added value of products, protecting consumer interests and preserving traditional cultural heritage.
A staff member airs chili sauce at a chili sauce manufacturer in Yongfeng Town of Shuangfeng County, central China's Hunan Province, July 14, 2018. One of China's protected geographical indication products, chili sauce in Yongfeng Town has a history of hundreds of years. (Xinhua/Li Jianxin)
China has rolled out measures for the use of GI and fostered the protection of GI, according to the NIPA.
The total output value of enterprises using GIs was 639.8 billion yuan (about 99 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020.
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