What happened
CNIPA reported that Chen Fuli of CNIPA met European Patent Office President António Campinos in Beijing on 29 September 2026. Following the meeting, the two offices signed a data exchange agreement.
Background
CNIPA noted that the offices had cooperated in areas including patent examination and administration, automation, data exchange and staff training. The EPO subsequently described the signing as an extension of their existing data exchange arrangement.
What does this mean for applicants?
International cooperation on patent information and examination is relevant to applicants operating across jurisdictions. The announcements do not state that the agreement automatically changes the outcome, examination timetable or filing requirements of an individual Chinese or European application. Applicable rules and procedures still need to be checked for each case.