Mandelson urges China to attack counterfeiters

The EU trade commissioner called on Beijing Wednesday to tackle the "army of violators" behind its counterfeit industry. In an interview with the <i>Financial Times</i>, Peter Mandelson said a government crackdown on a similar scale to the counterfeit industry itself would be needed to combat the problem. He said birth control pills and HIV drugs from China were now being discovered in the EU alongside pirate luxury goods, fake foods and drinks, car and aircraft parts, and electrical appliances. China is the source for over half the fake goods seized at European customs, and Washington is considering filing a complaint with the World Trade Organisation against China's intellectual property rights record, although Brussels has avoided the move. Mandelson is visiting Beijing and the southwest city of Chengdu this week. He has already met with Chinese commerce minister Bo Xilai and plans to see Vice Premier Wu Yi at the end of the week.