Your first move into China is mostly a sequence of decisions and filings — entity type, approvals, registration, licences, banking, and the compliance you need before you trade. We map that sequence for your sector and handle it, so nothing stalls at the wrong step.
The structure you choose shapes what you can invoice, hire, and remit. We match it to your actual business, not a template.
A low-commitment presence for liaison, market research and coordination. Cannot directly generate revenue — best when you're testing the ground before committing capital.
A full Chinese company you own 100%. Can trade, invoice, hire and remit profits. The default for most foreign operators — subject to the negative list for your sector.
A company shared with a Chinese partner — required in a few restricted sectors, or chosen for local access. Governance and the JV agreement are where deals are won or lost.
China's foreign-investment negative list sets out what's restricted or off-limits. But "removed from the list" is the start of the process, not the finish — the operating licence, security review and data rules underneath still apply, and many openings are tied to specific pilot cities or free-trade zones.
Sequence matters — getting steps out of order costs months. Here's the shape of a typical WFOE setup.
Confirm business scope, entity type, registered capital, and location against the negative list and your sector's licence requirements.
Reserve the company name and obtain any sector-specific pre-approvals or filings needed before registration.
Register the company and obtain the business licence, company chops (seals), and tax registration.
Open RMB and foreign-currency accounts, complete foreign-exchange registration, and inject registered capital.
Secure the operating licences your activity requires — the step most often underestimated.
Put in place employment contracts and policies, template commercial contracts, and a data-compliance baseline before you trade.
If you only need liaison, research or coordination and won't invoice in China, an RO is lighter. If you intend to trade, hire, or remit profits, a WFOE is usually the right first entity. We advise based on what you actually plan to do in the first 24 months.
It varies by city, sector and how clean the paperwork is — commonly a few months from decision to a licence you can bank on, longer where sector licences or security reviews apply. Sequencing the steps correctly is the biggest lever on timing.
Not necessarily. Lifting an ownership cap doesn't waive the operating licence, security review or data rules underneath, and some openings only apply in specific pilot cities or FTZs. We confirm whether the opening is real for your sector and footprint before you commit.
Yes. We take instructions and run the process in English and Chinese, coordinate the filings, and flag every decision that needs a call from your side. Cross-border and remote engagement is normal for us.
Tell us your sector and what you intend to do here. We'll map the entity, approvals and licence path — and the order to do them in.