BEIJING, May 30 -- China will in October host the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) World Congress for the first time since the association was formed 127 years ago.

The event, slated to take place from Oct. 19 to 22 in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, is expected to attract 1,500 delegates from over 80 countries and regions, Zhao Ping, spokesperson for the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, told a press conference on Thursday.

China's hosting of the 2024 AIPPI World Congress reflects the international recognition of its commitment to intellectual property (IP) protection, Zhao said, noting expectations that the event will foster exchange and cooperation between the Chinese and international communities in the field of IP protection.

China has strengthened its IP protection steadily to encourage innovation and build an improved business environment.

Thanks to solid efforts to crack down on the infringement of IP rights, the country has reported robust growth in both its number of patents and its IP trade over recent years.

China held approximately 4.02 million valid domestic invention patents by the end of 2023, making it the first country in the world to pass the 4-million mark.

From 2013 to 2023, the average annual growth rate of China's total trade in IP royalties was 9.4 percent. And last year, its total trade volume of IP royalties reached 53.7 billion U.S. dollars.

AIPPI was one of the first non-governmental international IP organizations. The AIPPI World Congress is held annually and has become one of the most well-attended and influential gatherings in the field of IP.