China to promote high-quality development with rule of law

In this file photo taken on the afternoon of Jan 21, 2016, the Supreme People's Court holds a public hearing over an environmental public interest case. China's top court has recently issued a report noting improved rule of law, intellectual property protection, environmental protection and more. (PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S COURT)

BEIJING – China's procuratorial authorities will fully leverage the rule of law to facilitate high-quality development in 2023, said a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
Procuratorial agencies will support innovation-driven development and enhance protection on intellectual property rights (IPR), said the report submitted Tuesday to the ongoing national legislature session for deliberation.

In 2022, China prosecuted 13,000 people over crimes concerning the rights of trademarks, patents, copyrights and commercial secrets, a 51.2-percent rise from 2018, said a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate

The report also pledges to step up judicial protection of the ecological environment.
In 2022, China prosecuted 13,000 people over crimes concerning the rights of trademarks, patents, copyrights and commercial secrets, a 51.2-percent rise from 2018, according to the report.
Over the past five years, a total of 621,000 people were prosecuted over disruption of market and economic order, up 32.3 percent from the previous five years, it said.

Improved social order, safety

China effectively curbed serious violent crimes and crimes related to guns, explosives and drugs over the past five years, said a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
A total of 814,000 people were prosecuted over such crimes during the period, a drop of 31.7 percent from the previous five years, said the report submitted Tuesday to the ongoing national legislature session for deliberation.

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In particular, the number of prosecutions over homicide, arson, explosion, kidnap, robbery and theft in 2022 fell to the lowest level in nearly two decades, read the report, adding that the declines have pointed to a continuous improvement in the social order.
This has brought a strong sense of security to the people, said the top procuratorate.
The report also said procuratorial authorities have made all-out efforts to crack down on mafia-nature organized crimes, having prosecuted 265,000 people over the past five years.
The country will continue to firmly guard social stability this year, with efforts to normalize the crackdown on organized crimes and severely punish behaviors that seriously disrupt the social order, the report said.

Better IPR protection

China has stepped up judicial protection on intellectual property rights (IPR) over the past five years to facilitate innovation-driven development, said a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

In 2022, China prosecuted 13,000 people over crimes concerning the rights of trademarks, patents, copyrights and commercial secrets, a 51.2-percent rise from 2018, said the report submitted Tuesday to the ongoing national legislature session for deliberation.
China's procuratorial agencies also handled 937 cases of litigation supervision on civil and administrative IPR lawsuits last year, which was 6.7 times that of 2018, the report said.

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Greater environmental protection

China has increasingly used public interest litigation to protect the natural environment, according to a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
Over the past five years, China's procuratorial authorities have handled 395,000 public interest lawsuits regarding the protection of ecology and natural resources, with an average annual rise of 12.5 percent, said the report submitted Tuesday to the ongoing national legislature session for deliberation.
A total of 756,000 cases of civil and administrative public interest litigation were filed during the period, marking an average annual increase of 14.6 percent, the report said.
China began to institute public interest litigation on July 1, 2017.