In order to further reduce the public burden and promote patent creation and protection, the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) has suspended and adjusted some patent fees since August 1. According to reports, this is one of the important concrete measures taken by the IP authority to implement the requirements for deepening the reform of "delegating power, improving regulation and optimizing services", to streamline the power and delegate more powers to lower-level governments and organizations, and to implement the relevant measures for benefiting the people.
It is said that the suspension and adjustment mainly take place in three aspects: Firstly, patent registration fee (national phase), publication printing fee, and fee for change of bibliographical data (change of patent firm or patent attorney), transmission fee included in the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application fee (international phase). Secondly, for patent applicants or patent holders who meet the relevant conditions of the "Measures for the Reduction of Patent Fees" (Ministry of Finance [2016] No. 78), the period for the reduction of the annual patent fees shall be extended to ten years if the patent has been existing for six years from the date of grant.  Thirdly, for invention patent applications already in substantive examination stage, if the applications were withdrawn before the expiration of the reply period of the first office action (excluding those who have responded to the opinions), 50% of substantive examination fees for patent application may be refunded.

Source: China IP News