Closing a foreign-invested company in China usually requires more than stopping operations.
A solvent exit typically involves corporate dissolution/liquidation procedures, creditor handling, employee/tax matters, deregistration steps and bank/FX arrangements for remaining funds. The correct route depends on whether the company is solvent and whether a simplified deregistration procedure is legally available.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Can we just abandon the company?
No. Unclosed entities create annual filing, legal-representative, and potential blacklisting risk. Creditors and authorities can still pursue residual issues.
How long does deregistration take?
Simple clean exits may complete in several months; tax or labour disputes can extend far longer. Timelines are fact-specific.
Is equity sale simpler?
Often commercially faster, but due diligence, SAMR/NSR issues (if any), and tax on the transfer still apply. See M&A basics.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.
Sources last checked: