Chinese courts have intensified efforts to maintain national security and social stability in the first half of this year, handling 529,000 criminal cases, a decrease of 10.4 percent from the same period last year, the top court said on Monday.

From January to June, 51,000 people were sentenced to prison terms of five years or longer, a relatively severe punishment under Chinese law, down 4.65 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the Supreme People's Court.

While combating violent crimes, courts across the country also handled more than 12.37 million civil and commercial cases in the first six months, a year-on-year increase of 38.87 percent, the court said.

Among those cases, courts nationwide focused on disputes related to employment and intellectual property, aiming to improve people's livelihoods and support high-quality development.

Courts heard 436,000 labor-related lawsuits and 307,000 intellectual property disputes in the first half of this year, up 40.17 percent and 36.15 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Chinese judges have continued to uphold the principle of equal protection for litigants, including in foreign-related cases, to help create a first-class international business environment under the rule of law and promote high-level opening-up, the court said.

From January to June, courts at all levels heard about 20,000 civil and commercial cases involving foreign affairs, up 52 percent year-on-year, according to the data.