Establish and operate in China
Set up the legal base, enter the market, sign with confidence, and manage the business through change.
Company FormationBusiness & ContractTrade & CustomsCorporate Lifecycle, M&A & ExitCHINA INBOUND LEGAL GUIDES · MATTER BUILDER
Build the China legal route
before local execution.
Practical national guidance for businesses and individuals entering, operating, employing, investing, protecting assets, or resolving a matter in mainland China. Start with the decision in front of you—then add local context only when it changes the route.
- 01
- 35 national guidesEvergreen China-wide frameworks
- 02
- National → city → counselFramework before implementation
- 03
- Information → counselOrientation, then qualified advice
MATTER BUILDER
Choose the situation; we will organise existing China legal research into a useful reading route.
No account required. This is a transparent grouping of published guides — not a diagnosis and not legal advice. Skip to full library
Step 1 of 3
01Who is navigating the China matter?
02What needs to happen next?
03What is making the decision urgent?
Answer the questions to order existing national guides. Without JavaScript, use the critical paths and library below.
Employ, relocate, and manage people
Hire and retain people, hold the right status, manage payroll / tax exposure, and keep the operating record aligned.
Employment & LaborVisa & ImmigrationTax & Fiscal ComplianceBanking, FX & Capital ControlsProtect assets and respond to risk
Protect information, IP, products, property, and evidence before a risk becomes a live dispute.
Data PrivacyIntellectual PropertyProduct LiabilityDispute ResolutionCriminal DefenseTHE CHINA DESK · 35 NATIONAL GUIDES
Establish the legal route
before local execution.
Start with the China-wide rule, then move to the city, authority, forum or lawyer that owns the local implementation. The body is organised around the decision in front of you—not a flat list of legal topics.
01National frameworkUnderstand the China-wide rule, risk, checklist and decision points.
02City & local depthAdd local institutions, practice conditions and implementation context.
03Listed counselMove from orientation into qualified local advice and representation.
START WITH THE SITUATION
What are you trying
to do in China?
NATIONAL LEGAL LIBRARY
All China inbound guides
The national framework, indexed by the legal decision in front of you.
35 guides in viewMAINLAND CHINA · NATIONAL FRAMEWORK
ACTIVE BRIEFALL GUIDES
Practice hub01
Company Formation
WFOE, JV and RO setup, negative-list access, chops and post-license compliance.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub02
Business & Contract
A practical guide to commercial contracts in China: counterparties, chops, bilingual drafting, e-signatures, performance, remedies, evidence, and dispute clauses.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub03
Trade & Customs
China trade and customs law guide: decision trees, statutory deadlines, valuation formulas, trade-route comparisons, audit controls, checklists and primary sources.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub04
Corporate Lifecycle, M&A & Exit
2026 China corporate, M&A and exit guide: regulatory decision tree, SAMR thresholds, security-review timeline, deal structures, diligence, closing and liquidation.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub05
Construction & Infrastructure
Construction contracts, project delivery, defects, payment, bidding, infrastructure development and project disputes in China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub06
Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
China data compliance decision guide: test PIPL transfer thresholds and exemptions, compare routes, follow filing timelines, and build evidence.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
National guide07
ICP, VATS & Telecom Licensing
China ICP, VATS and telecom licensing decision guide for websites, apps, SaaS, cloud and foreign-invested digital businesses.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
National guide08
Cloud Computing & Foreign Providers
China cloud computing legal guide covering IDC and internet-resource-collaboration licensing, foreign-provider pilot routes, deployment, data and contracts.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub09
Tax & Fiscal Compliance
CIT, VAT, IIT, tax residence, filings, transfer pricing and exit clearances.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub10
Banking, FX & Capital Controls
Cross-border money movement, bank packs, blocked payments, dividends and exit cash.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub11
Financial Services & FinTech
Route China financial activity by perimeter, payments, lending, wealth, AML and financial data. FX stays with Banking & FX.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub12
Capital Markets & Investment Funds
Securities issuance, listings, private equity, venture capital, investment funds and securities disputes involving China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub13
Insurance
China insurance coverage, claims, policy disputes, subrogation and regulated insurance relationships for businesses and individuals.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub14
Private Wealth & Trusts
Trusts, asset protection, family wealth structures and China-connected private-wealth planning, coordinated with tax, succession and banking rules.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub15
FDI & National Security
Negative-list access, national-security control tests, parallel gates, diligence and the 15/30/60 clock.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub16
Antitrust & Competition
SAMR thresholds, gun-jumping, conduct matrices and the investigation first-hour playbook.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub17
Transport, Shipping & Aviation
Aviation, maritime, logistics, passenger and freight legal routes for transport businesses and cross-border claims in China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Workforce guide18
Employment & Labor
Contracts, unions, termination routes, the 2025 SPC update and arbitration readiness.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub19
Visa & Immigration
Work permits, residence layers, change calendar, transit policy and urgent triage.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub20
Divorce & Family
Cross-border family case map for route choice, child-safety screening, recognition and enforcement.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub21
Wills, Succession & Inheritance
Route China-connected estates: heirship, wills, notary or court, assets and remittance. Existing deep guides remain the long-form owners.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub22
Intellectual Property
Launch-to-enforcement control room: ownership gate, trademark transition, NNN pack and route desk.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub23
Product Liability
Safety file, quality versus defect versus recall, sector clocks and GT/CBEC issues.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub24
Real Property
Title stack, city eligibility, lease-to-opening, transaction diligence and remittance.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub25
Dispute Resolution
Recovery map, 2026 Arbitration Law, clause desk, preservation, foreign-company litigation and enforcement.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub26
Personal Injury
Safety-first claim map for traffic, work, medical, premises and product routes.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub27
Criminal Defense
Procedural-status decisions, compulsory measures and foreign-national, family and employer overlays.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub28
Investigations & Compliance
Route China investigations: bribery, internal inquiries, raids, whistleblowing, third-party risk and cross-border evidence.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub29
Restructuring & Insolvency
Route China distress, claims, reorganisation, liquidation and distressed transactions without duplicating dispute or M&A guides.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub30
Administrative & Public Law
Administrative decisions, reconsideration, judicial review, public procurement, state compensation and other public-law routes involving government authorities.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub31
Education
School, training and educational institution regulation, licensing, governance and student protection in China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub32
Energy, Environment & Utilities
Energy projects, renewable power, environmental compliance, EHS, utilities regulation, concessions and environmental liability in China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub33
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Pharmaceuticals, medical devices, healthcare regulation, medical insurance and regulated life-sciences operations in China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub34
Media, Entertainment & Sports
Media, broadcasting, audiovisual content, performing arts, entertainment and sports/esports regulation in China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub35
Non-Profit & NGO Regulation
Foreign NGOs, charities, foundations and social-organisation registration, operations, fundraising and compliance in China.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
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FROM FRAMEWORK TO ACTION
Go deeper by city,
then talk to counsel.
Once the national rule is clear, move into the city or region where the entity, employee, property, court, regulator or transaction sits.
01ShanghaiFinance · arbitration · foreign investment→02BeijingRegulators · policy · national institutions→03ShenzhenTechnology · GBA · cross-border business→04GuangzhouTrade · GBA · commercial operations→05HangzhouDigital economy · technology · e-commerce→06ChengduWestern China · services · regional HQ→
COUNSEL HAND-OFF
Know the framework.
Then identify the lawyer.
Use the national guide for orientation, the city hub for local context, and qualified counsel for advice on the facts of the matter.
Editorial guides for orientation only — not legal advice. Confirm current rules with qualified counsel and relevant authorities.