Thailand's Chapchai Nirat established the clubhouse lead at the Volvo China Open having reached four under par after carding a 71.
Nirat began the day on three under but quickly moved to four with a birdie at the par five tenth, his first hole.
Dropped shots at the 12th and 15th were setbacks but the Thai responded with further birdies at the 16th and 18th which saw him one under on his round.
And that was how he finished as a bogey and a birdie on the front nine saw the 25 year old finish well in contention heading into the weekend.
Nick Dougherty took over the lead after a birdie at the third saw the Englishman move to five under par at Beijing CBD International GC.
The 26 year old fired an impressive 68 to finish one shot off the pace and made an encouraging start to his second round after playing the first five holes in one under.
Overnight leader Markus Brier experienced differing fortunes as a pair of bogey fives saw the Austrian drop to three under alongside Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, who recorded a 70, and Irishman Paul McGinley, who overcame a first round 74 by firing a five under 67.
McGinley was quick out of the blocks and soon back to level par for the tournament after sinking two birdies in his first three holes at the tenth and 12th.
Three more followed at the 15th, 17th and 18th as the Irishman reached the turn in 32, five under for the day.
However, any thoughts of course records were soon checked with a bogey five at the first although he repaired the damage by picking up his sixth birdie of the day at the fifth to close in on the leaders.
"I played pretty well yesterday but putted really, really poorly. I played pretty much the same but putted fantastically, that's the difference. A 74 yesterday, a 67 today, just shows the difference," McGinley said.
"I really putted well, every putt I missed was because I mis-read it. I don't know if a putting angel visited me in the night but I felt great over the day, I just hit good putt after good putt and I holed a few long ones from 20 to 25 feet.
"Every putt I missed I just slightly mis-read it, it's a bit unique for me to putt consistently that well."
And that was how he finished as a bogey and a birdie saw the 25 year old finish well in contention heading into the weekend.
David McKenzie, who also began the day four under, got off to a terrible start as a double bogey six at the first meant the Australian fell three shots behind Dougherty.
Colin Montgomery shot a second consecutive 73 to finish two over alongside defending champion Damien McGrane, who signed for a 74.
