What does it mean to publish an invention patent application?

The publication of an application for a patent for invention means that China National Intellectual Property Administration will publish the description and abstract of the description recorded in the request in the bulletin of the patent for invention, and will publish the description of the application for a patent for invention and its drawings and claims in full.

Legal basis:

Article 34 of the Patent Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) * * * After receiving an application for a patent for invention, the administrative department for patent in the State Council, after preliminary examination, finds that it conforms to the provisions of this Law, shall immediately publish it after 18 months from the date of application. The patent administration department of the State Council may publish its application at an early date upon the request of the applicant.