Protection of IPR China will step up judicial protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) to support innovation-driven development, according to a work report of the Supreme People’s Court on Monday. More efforts will be made to enhance the IPR protection of core technologies in key areas and emerging industries, said the report submitted to the ongoing national legislative session for deliberation in Beijing. Chinese courts at all levels concluded 466,000 cases related to IPR of first instance in 2020, up 11.7 percent year on year. GDP growth target The government will give priority to high-quality development this year, setting China’s GDP growth target at above 6 percent, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, as the world’s second-largest economy looks to cement its economic recovery from a year disrupted by COVID-19. In the government work report delivered at the opening of the fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress, Premier Li underscored that the economic fundamentals that will sustain China’s long-term growth remain unchanged despite potential risks and challenges this year. China’s GDP growth rate was 6 percent in 2019. Mars probe China’s first Mars probe Tianwen-1 is expected to land on the Red Planet in May or June, Bao Weimin, director of the Committee of Science and Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., said in Beijing on Thursday. The probe is now orbiting at a speed of 4.8 kilometers per second with all indicators normal, Bao, who is also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said during the “Members’ Corridor” meeting with the media at the Great Hall of the People. In 2021, China is expected to conduct more than 40 space launches, including a series of missions for the construction of China’s space station, Bao said. Crop seed bank The country is setting up a national crop seed bank, which is expected to be completed this year, a national political advisor said on Thursday. The new germplasm pool will be capable of storing 1.5 million pieces of various crops, the world’s largest, said Wan Jianmin, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and also vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. (SD-Agencies) | 