BEIJING, April 25 -- Chinese police investigated over 40,000 criminal cases related to intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement, as well as the production and sales of counterfeit or substandard goods in 2023, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Since last year, public security agencies across China have launched special operations to crack down on IPR infringement and counterfeiting, maintaining a tough stance against such crimes.

The ministry said that the clampdown on offenses related to IPR infringement focused on areas such as trademark rights, patent rights, copyrights and trade secrets.

The police also aimed their efforts at essential commodities such as food, medicine, firefighting equipment, gas appliances, electrical products and building materials, as well as wholesale markets and e-commerce platforms that sold such commodities.

The ministry vowed solid efforts to continue the crackdown this year to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both the public and various market entities.