BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China will cut the time needed for patent review by at least 15 percent this year, an official said Saturday.

The review time for trademarks will also be reduced to within 5 months, said Gan Shaoning, deputy head of the National Intellectual Property Administration, at the ongoing 20th China Development Forum.

The administration will further strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection by optimizing the mechanisms governing IP, raising the costs for IP infringements, and treating all market entities as equals in terms of IP protection, Gan said.

China has vowed to strengthen IP protection across the board, improve the system of punitive compensation for IP infringements, and promote invention and creation and their industrial application, according to the government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang to the annual national legislative session earlier this month.