1. Receiving and Handling of PCT International Applications

    In 2000, the Office received 746 international applications, 523 more than the previous year. Of all these applications, 697 used Chinese as the working language and 49 used English. Except the applications withdrawn by the applicants and those deemed as withdrawn, 73 were related to mechanics, 154 to electronics, 327 to applied chemistry, 39 to basic chemistry, and 119 to physics and other technical fields. Of all the PCT international applications, 65.54% were service inventions, an indication of a rapid increase of such applications.

2. PCT International Searching

    As an International Searching Authority under the PCT, the Office established searching reports for 364 international applications and communicated them respectively to the International Bureau of WIPO and the applicants according to the prescribed time limits of the PCT. In the same year, the Office conducted international searching for 3 international applications filed by residents of India, which were transferred from the International Bureau.

3. PCT International Preliminary Examination

    With regard to the international preliminary examination, the Office received 267 requests for international preliminary examination and established 230 reports and then communicated to the International Bureau and to the applicants.

4.Establishment of PCT Search Files

    The patent documentation database was improved in 2000. The division within SIPO responsible for PCT international searching established search files for 17 international applications according to the PCT minimum documentation requirement. Over 3,800 patent documents falling into 72 IPC sub-classes were made available to examiners, showing a decrease of 44.1% as compared with that of previous year.

5. PCT International Applications Entering the designated and Elected Office

    By December 31,2000, SIPO had received 15,802 international applications that designated China and entered into China's national phase, four of which were for utility model and the remainder for patents for inventions.

    According to statistics cited in the pamphlets published by WIPO, 90,948 international applications were received by WIPO's International Bureau in 2000, an increase of 22.86% over the previous year. In the same year, 70,397 PCT international applications originating in various countries designated China and were published.