On June 26, 2007, the International Symposium on Geographical Indications was held in Beijing. Wu Yi, Vice-Premier of the State Council and leader of State Office of Intellectual Property Protection, addressed the opening ceremony.
 
Wu said that the Chinese government had been attaching great importance to IP protection, and taking advantage of it to promote social and economical development. Wu expressed her appreciation for WIPO's efforts in promoting economic development and the progress in rural areas by using geographical indications, and the achievements made by the patent authorities in the last few years by using geographical indications to promote agricultural efficiency, increase farmers' income, and accelerate the development pace in rural areas. She said that it was the first time such an international symposium in Asia had been convened, which would surely exert far-reaching influence on Asia and also on all developing countries.  

The Symposium was jointly held by WIPO and SAIC. It was presided over by Zhou Bohua, director of SAIC, and attended by about 700 officials and representatives from WIPO and other organizations.