Apple and Qualcomm have been locked in global IP battles for nearly two years. Qualcomm first filed the current case in China late last year.

Yang Wu, head of the All-China Patent Attorneys Association, said two United States tech heavyweights availing themselves of a Chinese court for IP cases shows that they are more confident about the country's court rulings.

"In the past, large companies preferred to solve such disputes in the US, but now the moves by Apple and Qualcomm show their optimism in China. It also highlights that we have made significant progress in protecting intellectual property rights," Yang added.