Starting a Chinese Web Page for Your Company
The number of Chinese citizens connected to the web is a huge 668 million, and growing fast. Online retail sales grew 21 percent in 2014. Additionally, the prominence of Chinese “e-tailing”, measured as a proportion of retail sales, is higher than that of the US.Clearly, a web presence should be part of every...
Overcoming the challenges of doing business in China
Cracking the Chinese market is often viewed as the holy grail for New Zealand businesses, but too often they are blind to the challenges of doing business on the ground. This is the view of Jeremy Sargent, a legal consultant in Guangzhou whose presentation Overcoming the challenges of doing business in China was the...
How to handle audits by labor bureaus in China
In recent months, the number of international businesses in China (especially Beijing) that have been contacted by the local labor bureau for an audit has been markedly rising. These audit processes can come out of the blue and can be intimidating in terms of the volume of information requested and the access to company...
Assessing China’s Revised Food Safety Law
China’s revised Food Safety Law (FSL) took effect on 1 October 2015. Whilst much of the reform and future enforcement is expected to be directed towards China’s domestic food producers, New Zealand food producers that export to China under any business model – including cross-border e-commerce – must...
Opening up a Restaurant/Café in China
Many expats in China at one point or another have dreamed about opening up their own restaurant, café, or other sort of food and beverage operation. Away from home too long, perhaps, their sensitive palates will start to miss the tastes of home, inspiring them to invest in China’s food service market. The largest in...
China Eases Currency Controls, Allowing Free Exchange of ...
Recent months have seen a number of regulations by the Chinese government aimed to ease some of the restrictions that are part of China’s currency control system. The latest of these changes is the announcement by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) on March 30, 2015, stating that foreign-invested...
Trade Minister in China for FTA discussion
Trade Minister Tim Groser departed on 28 February for China to undertake a range of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) related meetings including discussions with his trade counterpart, Minister Gao Hucheng. “Meeting with Minister Gao will be an opportunity to engage following the agreement that was reached between the...
Obtaining a Multi-Year Employment Permit in China
Visas and the accompanying work permits are a common cause of confusion among expats in China. Regional differences and frequently-changing rules are often the root of the issue. Recently, several cities have changed their policy relating to Employment Permits, now granting permits with a validity of more than one year....
Using Serviced Offices to Support Your China Growth Strategy
For companies newly looking to set up a presence in China or expand their existing China operations, the prospect of costs incurred when entering an unknown market can be daunting, appearing as a sort of “make or break” venture. One lesser-known option available to foreign investors in this position is the use of...
Reminder: Update Your Company Business Licences
In December 2013, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) amended the Company Law to relax set-up requirements and simplify the company registration process in China. The new PRC Company Law came into force at a national level as of 1 March 2014. For companies...
Cross-Border Forex Cash Pooling in the Shanghai FTZ
One often overlooked feature of the Shanghai FTZ is the unique advantages it affords foreign investors for transferring funds between their China domestic and overseas entities via two-way cash pooling. This refers to a transaction in which banks facilitate multi-national companies in moving capital between their onshore...
Enhancing Market Access for New Zealand Companies
China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone: It was September 2013 when the new China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (SPFTZ) was officially opened. As was expected, rather than being a “big bang” event a series of reform measures have been released over the past several months. These reform measures can...