The fifth-seeded Australian defeated Argentina’s Navone 7-6(4), 6-2 on Thursday at the National Tennis Centre to reach the last 16 of the ATP 500 tournament.
The opening set proved highly competitive, with neither player able to establish a decisive advantage before De Minaur edged the tie-break 7-4.
The Australian then took control in the second set, breaking Navone's serve three times on his way to a 6-2 finish. De Minaur also saved nine of the 10 break points he faced during the match.
The victory extended De Minaur's unbeaten run since the US Open and continued his impressive record in Beijing. He reached the semi-finals of the China Open last year and has now advanced to the fourth round, or last 16, this year.
De Minaur will face France's Quentin Halys in the next round.
The 27-year-old entered the tournament after representing Australia at the Laver Cup in London, where he helped his team before beginning the Asian swing.
Navone, ranked 45th in the world, was unable to reproduce the form that saw him make an impressive run at the US Open. The Argentine had previously beaten Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows before reaching the third round.
The China Open is being played from 30 September to 6 October at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Centre. The ATP 500 tournament features a 32-player singles draw on hard courts and carries a prize purse of $4,016,050.