Article 26. Where an application for a patent for invention or utility model is filed, a request, a description and its abstract, and claims shall be submitted.
The request shall state the title of the invention or utility model, the name of the inventor or creator, the name and the address of the applicant and other related matters.
The description shall set forth the invention or utility model in a manner sufficiently clear and complete so as to enable a person skilled in the re1evant field of techno1ogy to carry it out; where necessary, drawings are required. The abstract shall state briefly the main technical points of the invention or utility model.
The claims sha1l be supported by the description and shal1 state the extent of the patent protection asked for.

Article 27.  Where an app1ication for a patent for design is filed, a request, drawings or photographs of the design shall be submitted, and the product incorporating the design and the class to which that product be1ongs shall be indicated.

Article 28.  The date on which the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council receives the application shall be the date of filing. If the app1ication is sent by mail, the date of mailing indicated by the postmark shall be the date of filing.

Article 29.  Where , within twelve months from the date on which any applicant first filed in a foreign country an application for a Patent for invention or utility model, or within six months from the date on which any applicant first filed in a foreign country an application for a patent for design, he or it files in China an application for a patent for the same subject matter, he or it may, in accordance with any agreement concluded between the said foreign country and China, or in accordance with any international treaty to which both countries are party, or on the basis of the principle of mutual recognition of the right of priority, enjoy a right of priority.
Where, within twelve months from the date on which any applicant first filed in China an application for a patent for invention or utility model, he or it files with the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council  an application for a patent for the same subject matter , he or it may enjoy a right of priority.

Article 30.  Any applicant who claims the right of priority shall make a written declaration when the application is filed, and submit, within three months, a copy of the patent application document which was first filed ; if the applicant fails to make the written declaration or to meet the time limit for submitting the patent application document, the claim to the right of priority shall be deemed not to have been made.

Article 3l.   An application for a patent for invention or utility model shall be limited to one invention or uti1ity model. Two or more inventions or utility models belonging to a single general inventive concept may be filed as one application.
An application for a patent for design shall be limited to one design incorporated in one product. Two or more designs which are incorporated in products belonging to the same c1ass and are sold or used in sets may be filed as one application.

Article 32.  An applicant may withdraw his or its application for a patent at any time before the patent right is granted.

Article 33. An applicant may amend his or its application for a patent, but the amendment to the application for a patent for invention or utility model may not go beyond the scope of the disclosure contained in the initial description and claims, and the amendment to the application for a patent for design may not go beyond the scope of the disclosure as shown in the initial drawings or photographs.

Chapter IV  Examination and Approval of Application for Patent

Article 34.  Where, after receiving an application for a patent for invention, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council, upon preliminary examination, finds the application to be in conformity with the requirements of this Law, it shall publish the application promptly after the expiration of eighteen months from the date of filing. Upon the request of the applicant, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council  publishes the application earlier.

Article 35.  Upon the request of the applicant for a patent for invention, made at any time within three years from the date of filing, the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council  will proceed to examine the application as to its substance. If, without any justified reason, the applicant fails to meet the time limit for requesting examination as to substance, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
The Patent Administration Department Under the State Council  may, on its own initiative, proceed to examine any application for a patent for invention as to its substance when it deems it necessary.

Article 36. When the applicant for a patent for invention requests examination as to substance , he or lit shall furnish pre-filing date reference materials concerning the invention.
For an application for a patent for invention that has been already filed in a foreign country, the patent administration department under the State Council  may ask the app1icant to furnish within a specified time limit documents concerning any search made for the purpose of examining that application, or concerning the results of any examination made, in that country. If, at the expiration of the specified time limit, without any justified reason, the said documents are not furnished, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

Article 37. Where the Patent Administration Department Under the State Council , after it has made the examination as to substance of the application for a patent for invention, finds that the application is not in conformity with the provisions of this Law, it shall notify the applicant and request him or it to submit, within a specified time limit, his or its observations or to amend the application. If, without any justified reason, the time limit for making response is not met, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

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