BEIJING, July 9 -- China has seen an increase in patents and trademarks granted to foreigners, according to the latest data released by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).

The number of effective invention patents owned by foreign applicants in China exceeded 900,000 last year, an increase of nearly 5 percent year on year. The trademark sector has also witnessed growth, with the number of valid trademark registrations by foreign applicants in China surpassing 2.1 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 3.4 percent.

This growth indicates the confidence of foreign enterprises in China's intellectual property (IP) protection, said Shen Changyu, head of the CNIPA, during a recent symposium attended by 11 foreign-funded enterprises, including AstraZeneca, Ford Motor, LEGO and Tesla.

Noting that strict IP protection is a major concern for foreign companies, Shen said China remains committed to providing equal IP protection for both domestic and foreign enterprises.

Representatives of these foreign enterprises presented their own IP protection demands and suggestions at the symposium held earlier this month.