China has strengthened intellectual property protections in its western regions, reporting rapid growth in patents and trademarks, an official from the country's top IP regulator said Wednesday.

Heng Fuguang, spokesman for the China National Intellectual Property Administration, announced at a news conference that the number of valid invention patents in western provinces reached 493,000 by the end of September, marking a 16.7 percent increase year-over-year. Valid registered trademarks in the region rose to 6.61 million, up 10.5 percent from the previous year, he said.

In addition to rising IP applications, several western provinces and autonomous regions-including Shaanxi, Sichuan, Ningxia, and Guangxi - have introduced new laws and refined regulations on IP protection, Heng noted. Authorities have also ramped up campaigns against IP infringement, he added.

Since 2021, Sichuan province has handled approximately 12,500 patent infringement cases, according to Zhao Hui, deputy head of Sichuan's IP administration, who also spoke at the news conference. Zhao said the province has established 20 IP protection centers and set up 117 mediation institutes to resolve IP disputes.

Vowing continued efforts to combat IP violations, Zhao added that the provincial administration will work on new rules to support the growth of geographical indications.