What Does China’s Accession to the Hague Agreement Mean?

On February 5,2022,the Chinese government deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva text of the Hague Agreement(1999)with the director general of the WIPO,thus becoming the 68th Contracting Party to the 1999 text and the 77th member state of the Hague Union.The Geneva text of the Hague Agreement(1999)will enter into force in China on May 5,2022.In preparation for joining the Hague System,China amended the Patent Law on June 1,2021.