Chen Fuli’s appointment as Party Secretary of CNIPA brings an experienced trade lawyer, diplomat and legislator into the agency’s top leadership as Shen Changyu prepares to move to WIPO. Chen previously served as China’s IP specialist in Washington, led MOFCOM’s Treaty and Law Department, and served on the NPC Standing Committee. His career, including longstanding engagement with U.S. IP officials and work on WTO and technology-transfer issues, may strengthen CNIPA’s capacity on trade-related IP, emerging AI and data issues, and U.S.-China IP relations.