A new intellectual property tribunal opened on Thursday, aiming to focus more on serving and supporting the high-quality development of Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province, China Central Television reported.

Approved by the Supreme People's Court, the Xiong'an Intellectual Property Tribunal is the first of its kind in Hebei, according to CCTV.

While promoting the high-quality growth of the new area, the establishment of the tribunal will also be conducive to enhancing the judicial protection of IP rights in the new era and helping create a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, it said.

The tribunal will have jurisdiction over civil and administrative cases related to patents, technology and monopolies within the Xiong'an New Area as well as in the prefecture-level cities of Baoding, Langfang, Qinghuangdao, Tangshan, Zhangjiakou and Chengde, it added.

China has stepped up efforts to protect IP rights by continuously building judicial teams, tribunals and even specialized courts over the past few years after saw a rapid growth of IP-related disputes. For example, courts that specialize in handling IP cases have been set up in Beijing, Shanghai, and provinces of Guangdong and Hainan.