Business & Personal Relations In China Podcast
SupChina recently released a podcast with host Chris Marquis featuring Robert Fisch as his guest. Robert is a master storyteller and he draws on his diverse experiences in China to illustrate some key principles that businesses can learn from, such as the importance of personal relations and the human touch when doing business in China. And he also provides some very practical advice on many topics from setting up a wholly foreign-owned entity (WFOE) to how business in China has shifted in the COVID era.
What You Need to Know: China Visa Requirements
Chinese has become home for many Western expatriates who desire work outside their home countries. The Chinese government’s visa application process has been greatly simplified in recent years, but is still rather complicated. Anyone looking to acquire a Chinese work visa should keep in mind some crucial tidbits of information that will be crucial in deciding the status of your work permit. There are three different kinds of work visas one can apply for:
Profit Repatriation: How to Get Your Money Out of China
As China’s economy continues to grow, it appears to foreign companies as an increasingly attractive place to do business. China is the only major economy to have grown during 2020, a year remembered by many for the coronavirus pandemic and concomitant economic recession. But as foreign businesses invest in the China, a growing number of them are also looking for the most efficient way to bring their profits back home. r repatriating funds are different for individuals and companies, regarding both the preconditions one must meet and limits on the amount transferred. Here, we will can compare the regulations for companies and people:
WeChat: What is it and Why is it so Popular in China?
WeChat. It allows Chinese people to make payments, install other apps, and even write micro-blogs. Despite its popularity in the Chinese mainland, it is not often used in other countries for privacy issues. However, let’s get started with the fundamental question:
What is WeChat?
WeChat (微信) is a Chinese multi-purpose app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it has become the most popular app in China due to its numerous functions, despite it initially only sending instant messages. Why did WeChat grow so rapidly in popularity? The answer is simple: as an all-inclusive app which has no competition in mainland China, WeChat is the dream of every developer. WeChat’s ubiquity in Chinese society makes it a necessity for anyone even visiting for a short time, so make sure to download the app once you’re in China, otherwise you might not even be able to pay a taxi driver.
Asia Business Conference Speaking Opportunity
Recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited by The University of Michigan to join their discussion panel for their Asia Business Conference event. It was truly a wonderful experience being able to speak about the power of e-commerce and mobile technology in China.
I would like to thank everyone at the conference as well as fellow speakers Peter Sim, Lee Boyd, and Mon-Han (Hans) Chung, CFA for making the event as memorable and inspirational as it was. I also would like to extend my gratitude to Tiffany Chen, Alex Guo, and Yechunhe (Sylvia) Zhou for hosting the conference. It was wonderful to hear other professionals discuss their experiences in China’s ever-growing market.
Guan Xi, the key to business success in China
While the Chinese business market is constantly modernizing, adapting, and growing; there is still a concept of immense cultural importance that has governed Chinese business practices for many years. The notion of 关系 (Guan Xi) is essential for any company to understand if they intend on doing business in China. At its core, guan xi is about building relationships. Trust is crucial to business success in China, and it is something that does not come quickly. While it may seem counterintuitive in the current fast-paced business environment of the United States, a great deal of relationship building in China exists outside of conference calls and boardroom meetings. In China, face to face interaction helps build a kind of trust that simply cannot be acquired through only communicating through a phone speaker halfway across the world. Because of the integral part that guanxi plays in Chinese business; it is essential for an American company hoping to do business in China to make sure that they have a strong understanding of Chinese culture in order to build a strong relationship with Chinese businesses.
Be Prepared: Five Important First Steps for Setting up your Business in China
Compared to the fast-paced explicit processes which dominate Western business, starting a company in China can be a headache. Combine extensive legal work with a social system opposite of your own and even the most experienced businessmen and women are in for a challenge.
However, establishing a presence in China continues to be a profitable move for entities in every business sector. With endless resources at your disposal, how to begin gets confusing. We’ve stripped away all the particulars and provided you with a basic idea.