

Last Updated: May 17, 2012
Information provided below will guide you to:
There are 4 modes of business presences in China: Representative Office, WFOE, Joint Venture, Hong Kong company. About 20% of PTC's clients chose RO as their China business entity since it's cost efficient and it requires no capital investment, for a roughly comparison between these 4 modes, check the Comparison Chart.
:According to State Administration of Industry and Commerce's file: Gong Shang Wai Qi [2010] No.4, PARENT COMPANY must be established for more than 2 years
Representative Office (RO) is established by foreign companies to engage in business liaisons, quality control, product promotion, market research, exchange of technology and other permitted activities in China.
ROs are not allowed to directly engage in operational activities, RO can't issue official invoices, nor receiving payments from it's clients. State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) usually specifies in scope of business, as it shown in the Registration Certificate of ROs, that ROs can not engage in direct operational activities. Therefore, it's not a form of foreign direct investment (FDI) in China. However, some ROs are engaged in operations in a lawful or tacitly permitted way and constitute one of the direct foreign Investment forms in China, for instance: ROs of foreign law firms, ROs of foreign airlines etc.
A Representative Office in China may only engage in non-profit making activities, it can carry out the following functions:
Under no circumstances may a Representative Office do the following in China:
1.1. Legal Status of a Representative Office
The Representative Office is a non-legal entity operating representing it's parent company overseas. A representative office is not allowed to engage itself in business activities, issue invoices on its own, remitting outward, signing sales or purchase contracts, or receiving income from services performed but may act as a liaison and promotion office for its parent company.
1.2. Name
The name of the Representative office should be in the form of "Name of the Enterprise + Name of the City + Representative Office".
1.3. Business Address
At the beginning of setting up the Representative Office, it is advised to decide the place and building where office is going to be located first, as the address of the proposed office will have to be mentioned in the application for approval.
Note: the business address must be located in commercial buildings approved by the government.
1.4. Social Security in China. ![]()
A new rule on foreign employees’ social security in effect starting October 15, 2011. It is said that if a company hires a foreign employee, the company shall register this employee with the local social security authority within 30 days of the employee receiving their work permit.
More information about Rep. Office:
Contact Our Regional Partners in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou or Hong Kong for more details:
Office Time: Monday To Friday 0900AM-1730PM
Shenzhen & Southern China Office:
E-mail: daisy@pathtochina.com or [-Request for Proposal-]
Suite 2812, 28/F, Tower A, Zhongshen Building, 2012 Caitian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, China 518033 [-MAP-]
TEL: (86.755) 6128.6800
Mobile: (86) 151.1261.3365 (You can inquire in English)
Consultant: Ms. Daisy Dai
Beijing & Northern China Office:
E-mail: gifty@pathtochina.com or [-Request for Proposal-]
5/F CBD International Mansion, 16 Yong'An Dong Li, Chao Yang District, Beijing 100022, China [-MAP-]
Tel: (86.10) 5166.4212 (You can inquire in English)
Mobile: (86) 139.1105.6406
Regional Manager: Ms. Gifty Jia
Shanghai & Eastern China Office:
E-mail: lijun@pathtochina.comor [-Request for Proposal-]
1038 West Nanjing Road, Suite 2508, 25 Floor, Westgate Tower, Shanghai 200040, China [-MAP-]
Tel: (86.21) 5108.8535 (You can inquire in English)
Mobile: (86) 1360.1680.738
Regional Manager: Mr. Li Jun
Hong Kong Office:
E-mail: simon@pathtochina.com or [-Request for Proposal-]
Suite 1701, HeNan Building, 92 Jaffe Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong[-MAP-]
Tel: (852) 6877.8862 (You can inquire in English)
Regional Partner: Simon Lee
Fax: (852) 8198.0080
Hangzhou & Ningbo Liaison Office:
E-mail: grace.lim@pathtochina.com or [-Request for Proposal-]
Hangzhou Liaison Office:
Suite 4202, 4/F, Euro America Center[-MAP-]
18 Jiao Gong Rd.,
Hangzhou 310007, China
Regional Consultant: Ms. Grace Lim
Tel: (86.21) 6218.9991
Other Parts of China:
Regional Manager: Mr. Stuart Firestein
E-mail: China@pathtochina.com or [-Request for Proposal-]
[Click for more details...]
Public Holidays of 2012 in China: Jan.1-3, Jan. 22-28, April 2-4, April 29- May 1, June 23-25, Sep.30-7
Southern China Office:
SHENZHEN OFFICE
Suite 2812, Tower A,
Zhongshen Building,
2012 Caitian Road,
Futian, Shenzhen,
518033, China[-MAP-]
-Request for Proposal-
Tel: (86.755) 6128.6800
M: (86) 151.1261.3365
Regional Consultant
Ms. Daisy Dai
daisy@pathtochina.com
Eastern China Office:
SHANGHAI OFFICE
1038 West Nanjing Rd.,
Suite 2508, WestGate
Tower, Shanghai 200040,
[-MAP-]
-Request for Proposal-
Tel: (86.21) 5108.8535
M: (86) 1360.1680.738
Regional Manager:
Mr. Li Jun
lijun@pathtochina.com
Northern China Office:
BEIJING OFFICE
5F CBD Int'l mansion,
No.16, Yong'An Dong Li,
Beijing, 100022, China
[-MAP-]
-Request for Proposal-
Tel: (86.10) 5166.4212
M: (86) 139.1105.6406
Regional Manager:
Ms. Gifty Jia
gifty@pathtochina.com
HONG KONG OFFICE
1701, HeNan Building,
92 Jaffe Rd., HK [-MAP-]
-Request for Proposal-
Tel: (852) 6877.8862
Regional Partner:
Mr. Simon Lee
simon@pathtochina.com
Zhe Jiang Area:
HANGZHOU OFFICE
4202 Euro America
Center, 18 Jiao Gong Rd.
Hangzhou 310007,China
[-MAP-]
-Request for Proposal-
Tel: (86.21) 6218.9991
Regional Consultant:
Ms. Grace Lim
grace.lim@pathtochina.com
Other Parts of China:
OTHER CITIES
-Request for Proposal-
Regional Manager:
Mr. Stuart Firestein
China@pathtochina.com
or[-Click For More-]
