Wang Guiqing said the US launched more Section 337 investigations against China in the past five years than it had in the last 20 years. Wang, the deputy chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, made the comments at a seminar in Beijing on Monday.

Wang said Section 337 investigations against Chinese companies increased sharply since 2006. According to statistics, the US launched 56 Section 337 investigations into Chinese companies between 2006 and 2010.

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Section 337 investigations target unfair acts and competition related to imported goods, including infringement of US patents or registered trademarks.

Wang said many of the cases were mounted against Chinese mechanical and electrical products, the Economic Information Daily reported Tuesday.

In 2010 alone, the US conducted 56 Section 337 investigations, almost double the total from the year before. Among those, 18 were mounted against China, which is more than were filed against any other country.

Liu Danyang, vice director of the Bureau of Fair Trade for Imports and Exports under the Ministry of Commerce, said small- and medium-sized Chinese enterprises should improve their patent awareness and negotiation skills. Liu said that would help protect companies' legitimate rights and interests in Section 337 investigations, the newspaper reported.