With the strategic opportunities created by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), enterprises in Zhangjiagang, East China's Jiangsu province, have shifted their focus to overseas markets, making the use and protection of brands more important for local firms going global, according to local media reports May 3.

Zhangjiagang Furui Special Equipment Co is a hi-tech enterprise specializing in liquefying, storing, transporting and applying liquefied natural gas, with its products exported to more than 30 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

Trademarks are the symbol of its brand and the main way to ensure the brand obtains legal protection, and enterprises have a deep understanding of the important role international trademark registration plays in preventing counterfeiting and cybersquatting.

To improve its competitiveness in the global market, Furui has beefed up efforts to promptly register international trademarks to prevent counterfeiting and preemptive registration.

Market regulatory authorities in the city said that international trademark registration has become a strategic resource for enterprises and a key element in international competitiveness.

Some enterprises lacked awareness about intellectual property protection, or they were unfamiliar with the registration process, and the local government has carried out targeted training on and popularization of information about trademark international registration.

In recent years, more and more Zhangjiagang enterprises have been tapping into international markets guided by internationalization strategies, and trademark registration is currently a popular business strategy among local enterprises, according to an official of Zhangjiagang Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau.

The local government has paid close attention to the international trademark registration of enterprises, and improved their advantages in promoting trademarks and brands.