It was her first match since the US Open, after a break of almost a month.
Świątek, a former world No. 1 and the 2023 Beijing champion, is currently ninth in the WTA rankings.
The Chinese player, ranked 244th, started boldly and Świątek was slow to get going, but the Pole stayed in control and won in 88 minutes.
"It was a good start, a good warm-up after a longer break," the Polish player told reporters.
She added that winning more matches would build her confidence, but for now she was focused on the next one.
Świątek will play Croatia's Donna Vekic, ranked 40th, for a place in the last 16.
The Pole has won all four of their previous meetings, the most recent in spring 2023.
Świątek is the last Polish woman left in the tournament.
Katarzyna Kawa and Magda Linette lost in the first round, and Maja Chwalińska and Magdalena Fręch in the second.
In the men's singles, Hubert Hurkacz has reached the quarter-finals.
He will play Karen Khachanov on Sunday.
The China Open is held each autumn in Beijing and runs until 11 October this year.
(ał)
Source: tvp.info