The Supreme People’s Court of China has vowed to increase efforts to tackle the infringement of IP rights, following the Chinese government’s announcement of plans to reform the country’s IP landscape.

Tao Kaiyuan, vice president of IP case hearings at the Supreme People’s Court, pledged to increase efforts to strengthen IP rights, including by handling disputes in “innovative ways”, on Thursday, March 1 during a news conference.

During the conference, which was organised by China’s State Council Information Office, Kaiyuan said that the "judicial protection of IP rights must be strengthened”, according to Chinese news outlet China Daily.

She also claimed that the Supreme People’s Court has already improved IP protection by unifying standards related to court rulings and providing additional training for the judiciary.

In a separate report on the conference, Xinhua,China’s official press agency, noted that more than 3,000 judges and 2,000 judicial assistants work in the IP sphere across more than 300 IP tribunals in the country.

Kaiyuan’s comments follow guidance issued by the Chinese government on Tuesday, February 27, which is intended to improve the efficiency of IP trials.

The guidance said that IP protection is the “basic means to stimulate innovation” and is a key aspect of international competitiveness. It went on to say that reforms are necessary to “perfect the judicial protection system for IP.

One aim is to “establish a compensation system for infringement that reflects the value of IP” and increase efforts to crack down on IP infringement. This will include increasing penalties for infringement and reducing the cost of safeguarding rights.

The new guidelines and Kaiyuan’s comments come shortly after the US commerce secretary accused China of having “disrespect” for IP.

Wilbur Ross alleged that China’s 2025 plan—which aims to place China as a world leader in new technologies—is a “direct threat” to US trade.