Opening a China office

The following article on establishing a legal entity in China is reproduced by courtesy of ICS Trust. Also see their comments on doing business in China. You can email Daniel Booth at dbooth@icstrust.com or download the full ICS brochure. We do not take any liability for the accuracy of material supplied by third parties.

The significance of Hong Kong's role

Hong Kong is consistently acknowledged as the single most competitive city for doing business in China, and is the largest foreign investor in China - with good reasons! Hong Kong is conveniently located at the southern gateway to the Pearl River Delta region, China's most dynamic and prosperous industrial hub accounting for a disproportionately high percentage of total national GDP. Hong Kong is within a four-hour radius by air to most other major Asian cities and more than a quarter of the entire global population, making it an ideal location for regional headquarters.

Many foreign companies opening an office in Hong Kong use it as their management and operational centre for doing business in China, and in particular, use Hong Kong companies to provide a virtual firewall to protect their business interests from potential legal and financial risk exposure in China. To read more on the following benefits please click here.

The Amcham website gives a good overview on opening an office in Hong Kong. You should also visit the Government Information Service regarding business registration. Just as individuals need an ID card to enter into any contract and to access services, businesses can't do anything in HK without a Business Registration Certificate and company chop (stamp).

See our serviced offices page if you are looking for an interim office solution.

Useful Websites

We recommend these websites for further information:

If you are opening a China office, you or your staff may benefit from using a Hong Kong Orientation service.