Customs officers in North China's Tianjin Municipality have extended cooperation with foreign counterparts to strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, said an official with Tianjin Customs.

Tianjin had handled 22 cases concerning intellectual property rights violations last year, involving 2.43 million yuan (US$293,833) worth of goods, the official said.

Tianjin Customs paid special attention to protect intellectual property rights on imported and exported goods as well as China's foreign-funded enterprises, said the official

The official said Tianjin also extended cooperation with foreign counterparts, having successfully cracked down international cases of intellectual property rights violations last year.

The protection of intellectual property rights was conducive to the development of Tianjin's foreign-funded enterprises and transnational groups, creating a good environment for the municipal foreign trade market, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2004)