China will further strengthen intellectual property rights (IPR) protection to boost opening-up to a higher level, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

Xi made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation in Beijing.

"China will strengthen the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of foreign IPR proprietaries, eliminate forced technology transfer, improve trade secrets protection and crack down on IPR infringements according to the law," Xi said.

The country will create a business environment that respects the value of knowledge and comprehensively improve the legal system for IPR protection, Xi noted.

It is not only necessary to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both domestic and foreign companies, but also an inherent requirement for building China into an innovation-driven country and promoting high-quality development, Xi said.