You've read the articles. They contradict each other. Half reference laws that were repealed in 2020. Advisory firms want tens of thousands before they'll tell you what you actually need. We're building the tool that gives you the full picture; what the rules say, how things actually work on the ground, and what it will really cost. So you can make a confident decision before you spend a penny.
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HOW IT WORKS
Your sector, product or service, where you're based, and what you want to achieve in China. Two minutes.
Sector eligibility under the current Negative List. Structure options: WFOE, CBEC, JV, or alternatives. Estimated costs by city. Timeline. Compliance requirements. All from current regulation, not a blog post from 2019.
A clear recommendation, a realistic cost estimate, the practical steps, and the things that can go wrong; including the gap between what the official process says and how it actually plays out on the ground.
THE GAP NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
REGISTRATION
Your WFOE can be legally registered but unable to open a bank account because the address doesn't satisfy bank scrutiny. Your business scope can be "approved" but drafted too narrowly to actually operate. A company can exist on paper and still be months away from issuing its first invoice. We show you both layers, the rules and the reality. So you don't get stuck after you've committed.
LOCATION
Tax rates, approval timelines, and operating costs vary significantly between cities and zones. A services WFOE in a Free Trade Zone may qualify for different tax treatment than one in a standard district. The local SAFE branch, tax bureau, and even the bank branch you choose can shape how smoothly everything works. Same regulation, different experience.
TRUE COSTS
Advisory firms quote you a registration fee. The real first-year cost includes registered address, mandatory social insurance, housing fund contributions, annual statutory audit, monthly tax filings (even pre-revenue), bank account maintenance, and compliance upkeep. Lean setups start around RMB 10,000. Realistic first-year budgets are often RMB 80,000–350,000. We show you the full stack, by city, by structure type.
CAPITAL
Dividends, service fees, royalties, intercompany charges; each channel has different SAFE requirements, tax implications, and practical constraints. Full regulatory compliance doesn't guarantee smooth remittances. Banks apply their own review processes on top of SAFE and SAT rules. We map the extraction channels before you commit capital.
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
China's Company Law was overhauled in July 2024. The Negative List removed all manufacturing restrictions in November 2024. FX rules were liberalised in 2025. A new Foreign Trade Law took effect March 2026. Many English-language guides still describe a legal framework that was repealed six years ago. The structure you set up today needs to work in the regulatory environment that's coming. Not the one described in an article from 2019.
WHAT THE TOOL DOES
Interactive tools built from current regulation. Designed to give you clarity before you commit, not to sell you consulting hours.
The answer depends on your sector, your goals, and how much control you need. We process your inputs against the current Negative List, local registration rules, and practical constraints, and give you a recommendation with reasoning, not just a label. Including the option most consultants won't suggest: that now might not be the right time.
Government fees, registered address, translation, notarisation, bank account opening, bookkeeping, annual audit, and the costs they don't mention until month three. By city. By structure type. So you can compare a lean Shenzhen setup against a full Shanghai operation and know exactly what each costs before you commit.
SAMR registration, SAFE capital account, tax bureau filing, bank account opening. Each step mapped with what the regulation says AND how it typically plays out. Where timelines extend, what documentation to prepare early, and the friction points that only surface once you're in the process.
Dividends, royalties, service fees, and intercompany loans compared by effective tax cost, SAFE documentation requirements, typical banking timelines, and practical complexity. Including which channels face increasing scrutiny and where the rules are heading.
The 2024 Company Law overhaul. The 2024 Negative List update. 2025 FX liberalisation. The 2026 Foreign Trade Law. Any guide more than six months old is probably missing something important. We track what's changed and translate it into what it means for your specific setup.
CBEC pilot zones, free trade zones, city-level incentives, and sector-specific openings create opportunities buried in regulatory announcements that most foreign SMEs never see. China removed all manufacturing foreign-ownership restrictions in 2024. FX reinvestment rules eased in 2025. We surface the openings, not just the barriers.
You've read contradictory guides, been quoted wildly different prices, and you're no closer to a decision. You want one clear answer based on your specific situation, not another article that ends with "contact us for a consultation."
Advisory firms give you a number without showing the working. You want to see every cost line, compare it by city and structure type, and know what's included before you commit any budget. Lean setups can start at a fraction of that but only if you know where to look.
You've read that a WFOE takes 4–6 weeks to set up. You've also heard that bank accounts take months, business scope gets rejected, and nothing works the way the guides describe. You want someone who knows both layers; the rules and the ground truth.
The landscape is shifting. Most guides haven't caught up.
China's Company Law was overhauled in 2024. The Negative List removed all manufacturing restrictions. FX rules were liberalised in 2025. A new Foreign Trade Law took effect March 2026. Meanwhile, 48% of foreign companies withdraw within two years and most English-language setup guides still describe a legal framework that was repealed six years ago. Built by finance professionals with backgrounds spanning an investment bank, a FTSE 100 company, and a hedge fund, operating on the ground in China.
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