Briefing notes
Thirty-one notes on establishing and running a company in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. Each one reads in ten minutes, carries its sources, and downloads as a PDF.
Mainland China
- Establishing a New Co. in Mainland ChinaBriefing note No.1 · 29 August 2026 · How to set up a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) in Mainland China: requirements, documents, registration steps, timeline and first-year filings.
- Working in Mainland ChinaBriefing note No.4 · 28 August 2026 · Working in Mainland China as a foreigner: the work permit notification, Z visa, permit card and residence permit, categories A to C, and the timeline.
- Taxation in Mainland ChinaBriefing note No.7 · 29 August 2026 · Taxation in Mainland China: corporate income tax at 25%, VAT, dividend withholding, and the expatriate tax concessions that end on 31 December 2027.
- The Pearl River DeltaBriefing note No.10 · 29 August 2026 · The Pearl River Delta and the Greater Bay Area for foreign investors: nine Guangdong cities, Hong Kong and Macao, and where a factory or office belongs.
- China’s trade agreements and the Belt and RoadBriefing note No.16 · 31 August 2026 · China's free trade agreements, RCEP and the Belt and Road corridors: what they change for customs duty and origin, and what a company can rely on.
- The Representative Office in Mainland ChinaBriefing note No.18 · 9 September 2026 · Opening a representative office in Mainland China: what it may and may not do, who may open one, the file, the timeline, and why its tax bill is not zero.
- Verifying a Chinese business licenceBriefing note No.21 · 14 September 2026 · How to verify a Chinese business licence (营业执照): what it records, how to check it against the national register, the credit code, and the red flags.
- Investing abroad from Mainland ChinaBriefing note No.24 · 21 September 2026 · Outbound investment from Mainland China under State Council Decree No. 837: NDRC and MOFCOM filings, Hong Kong, security review, technology and fines.
- Registered capital in Mainland ChinaBriefing note No.26 · 9 October 2026 · Registered capital in Mainland China: the five-year payment rule, the 30 June 2027 deadline, abnormal capital, shareholder liability and what to check.
- Moving a WFOE to another city or provinceBriefing note No.29 · 9 October 2026 · Moving a WFOE's registered address to another city or province in Mainland China: the single application, the tax transfer, staff and what follows.
Hong Kong
- Establishing a New Co. in Hong KongBriefing note No.2 · 29 August 2026 · Incorporating a private company limited by shares in Hong Kong: requirements, documents, the NNC1 procedure, the bank account and the first-year deadlines.
- Working in Hong KongBriefing note No.5 · 28 August 2026 · Working in Hong Kong as a foreigner: employment visa, Top Talent Pass, QMAS, dependants, extensions, and what the employer owes in MPF and insurance.
- Taxation in Hong KongBriefing note No.8 · 29 August 2026 · Taxation in Hong Kong: profits tax at 8.25% and 16.5%, the territorial principle, no VAT or capital gains tax, salaries tax and the 15% minimum tax.
- Hong Kong and the Greater Bay AreaBriefing note No.11 · 28 August 2026 · Hong Kong in the Greater Bay Area: holding, treasury, IP and dispute resolution, the 5% dividend rate from the Mainland, and the substance it requires.
- Hong Kong’s trade agreementsBriefing note No.17 · 1 September 2026 · Hong Kong's trade agreements: CEPA with the Mainland, nine free trade agreements, investment treaties and the substance behind certificates of origin.
- Verifying a Hong Kong companyBriefing note No.22 · 14 September 2026 · How to verify a Hong Kong company: what the certificate of incorporation and business registration certificate prove, register searches and warning signs.
- Re-domiciling a company to Hong KongBriefing note No.28 · 9 October 2026 · Re-domiciling a foreign company to Hong Kong since May 2025: eligibility, the NNC6 procedure and fees, tax treatment and the effect on subsidiaries.
Taiwan
- Taiwan: investment approval and the science-park corridorBriefing note No.13 · 17 October 2026 · Foreign investment in Taiwan: DIR approval, capital remittance and verification, mainland and Hong Kong investors, company forms and science parks.
- Taiwan’s economy and the AI supply chainBriefing note No.39 · 17 October 2026 · Taiwan's economy for foreign investors in 2026: growth, exports, semiconductors and AI servers, science parks, FDI, labour, power and the currency.
- Taiwan’s trade agreementsBriefing note No.32 · 17 October 2026 · Taiwan's trade agreements in 2026: WTO status, ECFA and suspended concessions, New Zealand and Singapore, the US deals, tariffs and origin rules.
- The branch and the representative office in TaiwanBriefing note No.33 · 17 October 2026 · Opening a branch or representative office in Taiwan: what each may do, registration, operating capital, tax on profits, foreign staff and closure.
Vietnam
- Establishing a New Co. in VietnamBriefing note No.3 · 30 September 2026 · Setting up a foreign-owned LLC in Vietnam under the 2025–2026 reforms: IRC and ERC, charter capital, documents, procedure and first-year obligations.
- Working in VietnamBriefing note No.6 · 30 September 2026 · Working in Vietnam as a foreigner: work permit, LD2 visa and temporary residence card — the order, the documents, a realistic timeline and the costs.
- Taxation in VietnamBriefing note No.9 · 29 August 2026 · Taxation in Vietnam after the 2025–2026 rewrite of the tax laws: corporate income tax, VAT, foreign contractor tax and personal income tax, with examples.
- Đồng NaiBriefing note No.12 · 28 August 2026 · Investing in Đồng Nai, Vietnam: industrial zones, labour, logistics, the new Long Thành airport and the 2025–2026 administrative reform, for investors.
- Vietnam’s trade agreementsBriefing note No.15 · 31 August 2026 · Vietnam's free trade agreements: EVFTA, CPTPP and RCEP — preferential duty, rules of origin, and what the EU agreement means for an exporter in 2026.
- The Representative Office in VietnamBriefing note No.19 · 9 September 2026 · Opening a representative office in Vietnam: the five-year licence, permitted activities, the file and its legalisation, timeline, taxes and the PE risk.
- Why does the United States buy more from Vietnam than from China?Briefing note No.20 · 11 September 2026 · US tariffs on Vietnamese goods in 2026: the tariff sequence, the Section 301 duty, and the origin a manufacturer in Vietnam must now be able to prove.
- Verifying a Vietnamese companyBriefing note No.23 · 15 September 2026 · How to verify a Vietnamese company: the enterprise and investment registration certificates, the three capital figures, the public registers and red flags.
- Trading and retail in VietnamBriefing note No.25 · 8 October 2026 · Trading and retail in Vietnam under Decree No. 342/2026/ND-CP from 18 October 2026: the Business Licence, retail outlet licences, the economic needs test.
- Beneficial owners of a Vietnamese companyBriefing note No.27 · 9 October 2026 · Beneficial owners of a Vietnamese company under Decree No. 296/2026/ND-CP: the 25% tests, look-through of foreign holdings, the declaration and the fines.