1998 institutional reform in the State Council, where the former China Patent Office was renamed China National Intellectual Property Administration, became the directly affiliated institution in charge of patent work and overall coordination of foreign-related intellectual property affairs in the State Council. China National Intellectual Property Administration entrusted its subordinate institutions to undertake the work of accepting, approving and reviewing patent applications and examining requests for invalidation of patent rights by the former China Patent Office. The departments for patent administration under the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be responsible for patent administration within their respective administrative areas.