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
- 22 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 · 22 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.
22 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
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 →
Practice hub06
Tax & Fiscal Compliance
CIT, VAT, IIT, tax residence, filings, transfer pricing and exit clearances.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub07
Banking, FX & Capital Controls
Cross-border money movement, bank packs, blocked payments, dividends and exit cash.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub08
Financial Services & FinTech
Perimeter, payments, lending, wealth, AML and financial data. FX/capital controls stay with Banking & FX.
FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub09
FDI & National Security
Negative-list access, national-security control tests, parallel gates, diligence and the 15/30/60 clock.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub10
Antitrust & Competition
SAMR thresholds, gun-jumping, conduct matrices and the investigation first-hour playbook.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Workforce guide11
Employment & Labor
Contracts, unions, termination routes, the 2025 SPC update and arbitration readiness.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub12
Visa & Immigration
Work permits, residence layers, change calendar, transit policy and urgent triage.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub13
Divorce & Family
Cross-border family case map for route choice, child-safety screening, recognition and enforcement.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub14
Wills, Succession & Inheritance
China-connected estates: heirship, wills, notary or court, assets and remittance. Existing deep guides remain the long-form owners.
FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub15
Intellectual Property
Launch-to-enforcement control room: ownership gate, trademark transition, NNN pack and route desk.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub16
Product Liability
Safety file, quality versus defect versus recall, sector clocks and GT/CBEC issues.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub17
Real Property
Title stack, city eligibility, lease-to-opening, transaction diligence and remittance.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub18
Dispute Resolution
Recovery map, 2026 Arbitration Law, clause desk, preservation, foreign-company litigation and enforcement.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub19
Personal Injury
Safety-first claim map for traffic, work, medical, premises and product routes.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub20
Criminal Defense
Procedural-status decisions, compulsory measures and foreign-national, family and employer overlays.
Updated · FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub21
Investigations & Compliance
Allegation triage, raids, third-party risk and evidence constraints. Criminal, employment, antitrust and data stay with their owners.
FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
Practice hub22
Restructuring & Insolvency
Distress options, claims, reorganisation, liquidation and distressed deals. Ordinary litigation stays with Dispute Resolution.
FAQ + checklistOpen guide →
No legal file matches this search.
Try another topic or clear the current filters.
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.