Protection of new plant varieties is still a relatively new area of intellectual property in China, despite the country having one of the richest horticultural cultures in the world. Prior to 1997 (at least in the modern area following the founding of the People’s Republic of China), China did not have any laws or regulations in place allowing for the protection of plant breeders’ rights for their new varieties. The situation changed greatly in October 1997 after the Regulations of the People’s