On January 6, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the Interim Measures for Handling Related Affairs after China's Accession to the Hague Agreement ("Measures"), with effect from January 11, 2023 and on.

According to the Measures, a Chinese entity or individual may, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 2 of Article 19 of the Patent Law, and the 1999 Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (the "Hague Agreement"), file an application for international registration of an industrial design, from May 5, 2022 and on. The Measures clarify that, an application for international registration of an industrial design for which the date of international registration has been determined in accordance with the Hague Agreement and China has been designated for design protection shall be deemed to be an application for an industrial design patent filed with the CNIPA, and the date of such international registration is deemed to be the date of application mentioned in Article 28 of the Patent Law. The Measures also indicate that, the CNIPA shall process an international application for an industrial design in accordance with the Patent Law, the Implementing Rules of the Patent Law, the Guidelines for Patent Examination and these Measures. 

(Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration)