BEIJING, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese judicial agencies will step up protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) in a bid to support the country's drive to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, a senior judge said Wednesday.

Sound rules will be introduced to protect IPR in sectors such as big data, artificial intelligence and genetic technologies, and judicial actions will be enhanced against monopolies and unfair competition, He Rong, vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), told a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Greater efforts will be made to regulate and guide the sound development of capital, He said, adding that judicial agencies will also advance international cooperation and exchanges.

Over the past decade, China has made notable progress in judicial protection of IPR, according to He.

The number of IPR lawsuits closed in the first instance has totaled 2.74 million since 2013, registering an average yearly increase of 24.5 percent, she said.

Lawsuits concerning IPR have covered a wide scope of cases involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, business secrets, integrated circuit designs, new plant species, geographic indications, monopolies and unfair competition.

Consumers' rights and the rights of people having new forms of employment have been better protected.

The IPR court under the SPC and four specialized courts for IPR in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and the Hainan Free Trade Port have facilitated the country's reform on IPR case settlement.

With persistent efforts to ensure foreign entities enjoy equal legal protection in China, more and more foreign enterprises have settled their IPR disputes at Chinese courts, He said. ■