BEIJING - China remains first in the world in terms of the number of trademark applications, official data showed on Tuesday.

In 2015 alone, China received more than 2.8 million trademark applications, four times the number in 2008. China has led the world in the number of trademark applications since 2002, according to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).

The SAIC had received more than 19.1 million trademark applications as of March this year, and the number of valid trademarks registered in China totaled 10.7 million by the end of March.

Liu Junchen, deputy head of the SAIC, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the surge in trademarks was a result of China's continued efforts to protect intellectual property.

However, Liu admitted that only a small proportion of Chinese brands are recognized in the international market as Chinese enterprises still rely too much on cost advantages.

Liu said that, in the future, the SAIC will continue to safeguard intellectual property, streamline registration procedures and toughen penalties for trademark infringement.