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More and more Australian companies are setting up their own presence in China in order to source products/services directly from China or enter the Chinese market. However, given the alien nature of local regulations and business environment in China, it is critical to be proactive and fully prepared before you take the strategic move to set up your own presence in China.

Here are some “must-knows” before you set up the business in China:

1.You have more than one option for a local presence in China. Your China presence may be in the form of a wholly owned foreign enterprise, a contractual joint venture, an equity joint venture, a representative office or a local representation by a third party (local secretary/representation service companies).

2.Carefully define your business scope for the China presence. China National Development and Reform Commission may prohibit, restrict, permit or encourage your business set-up based on your business categorization and scope. Hence it is critical to carefully define your business scope so as to be permitted or encouraged to set up the presence.

3.Select the right location for your China operation. China abandoned its preferential tax rate for investments of foreign companies from January 1st 2008. However, some areas still offer local preferential policies for foreign investors in terms of land leasing/procurement, staff recruitment and management, local tax etc.

4.Confirm the minimum registered capital for your China operation. The Chinese government requires certain minimum registered capital for various types of businesses. However, local Industry and Commerce Administrations may decide on your minimum registered capital based on their judgement of your business scope and operation scale. You need to confirm with local government agencies the minimum registered capital through local contacts before taking any other actions in case they require an amount far above your financial resources available for the China operation.

5.Integrate commercial clauses in the Articles of Association to maximise profit repatriation into Australia. You may have commercial arrangements between your Head Office in Australia and the subsidiary in China in order to guarantee maximum profit repatriation. However, some arrangements must be included as part of the Articles of Association to be valid. The Articles of Association is to be submitted to local government agencies for approval and filing during business license registration. Hence, you must incorporate necessary clauses in the Articles of Association in the first instance.

6.Fully understand employers’ responsibilities and liabilities in China. China issued the new Law of Labour in 2007 which specified issues on employment contract, redundancy, etc. Without preliminary knowledge of this law, you may end up spending a huge amount of time and money terminating the contract with under performing employees, as the structure of the contract was wrong. You also need to be aware of the mandatory employee welfare and benefits so as to include such cost in the budget.

7.Conduct thorough due diligence and credit check on your joint venture partners. Your partners may not be what they claim to be. China has the business culture to show their wealth and status by driving luxurious cars, wearing  prestigious watches and owning an impressive factory. Hence your Chinese business partners may look financially viable and well connected but, as a matter of fact, live on bank loans and personal debts.

8.Develop a comprehensive local employee management system. It is a hard job to recruit the right staff in a foreign country. It is even harder to effectively manage the local staff in a foreign country. A sound and robust employee management system will encourage the engagement and commitment of local staff and avoid potential risks. You may include reporting and communication policies, staff training, performance assessment, remuneration, career management and employee management manual in the system.

Business set-up in China is a big project by itself, which requires financial and time commitments, business management knowledge and China expertise. Identifying a competent agent to manage the complex process will be a cost and time effective way to avoid potential pitfalls.

Information above is provided by Sara Cheng, Manager for Greater China, Australian Business International Trade Services.

If you need any assistance or require further information regarding business set-up in China, please contact Sara at sara.cheng@australianbusiness.com.au or on 1800 505 529.