Question:
When is a Chinese patent application first published? Does claiming priority affect the publication date? When is a PCT application published after entry into the Chinese national phase?
Answer:
Under the relevant provisions of the Chinese Patent Law, an invention patent application that has passed preliminary examination is published approximately 18 months after the priority date, or 18 months after the filing date if no priority is claimed.
A Chinese application based on an international application is published soon after it passes preliminary examination.