BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China has been improving the legal protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), according to a press conference of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on Tuesday.

The press conference, focusing on "reform and opening up and IPR development," introduced China's achievements in IPR protection.

China has built a sound legal system in protecting IPR, with the laws including those on trademark, patent, copyright and anti-unfair competition enacted and enforced.

China has experienced huge changes in pushing forward the legal protection within no more than 20 years, said Wu Handong, former professor of Economics and Law at Zhongnan University.

More patent lawsuits among overseas companies were chosen to be conducted in China. This is a signal of holding confidence in China's judicial judgment and preference for the Chinese market, said Yang Wu, head of All-China Patent Attorneys Association.

China began to accept patent applications in 1985 and in 2017, the country saw 1.38 million invention patent applications, leading the world for the seventh year.