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Advice

Advocacy

Training

Self-Diagnosis Tool
Advice
China is a very complex market. Small and medium-sized businesses do not have the same resources as large multinational companies to sort through regulations, conduct due diligence and assess business opportunities and risks.
Through email, face-to-face or online meetings with in-house or external experts, we offer tailored and confidential technical assistance to any EU SMEs or business organisations in need. Our services are free.
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Advocacy
Gain insights and practical solutions on changes that impact your business, network with peers, and help lobby European and Chinese policymakers by joining the Inter-Chamber SME Working Group. Share your experiences and stay up to date with our events and publications.
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Training
For SMEs at every stage of business in China, we design flexible hybrid and online training programmes. Our training sessions and webinars are designed to share knowledge with SMEs as well as business support and trade promotion partners and their members.
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Self-Diagnosis Tool
Expanding your operations to China? Assess your readiness here. Test your knowledge on how to export, register products, select target markets, distribution channels, taxation and more, and receive recommended content on issues that matter to you.
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Knowledge Centre
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Articles

Guidelines

Reports

Case Studies

Webinars

FAQs

Service Providers
Articles
Concise pieces of analysis with practical insights and interpretation of regulatory or market developments affecting EU SMEs.
Regularly published in business journals and media outlets, our articles are all in open access here.

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Survey Key Findings: Information Gathering Survey for the 2025/2026 Inter-Chamber SME WG Position Paper

article| 26 May 2025

Advocacy SME Position Paper

Waste Reduction: Managing the F&B Industry’s Environmental Impact

article| 16 May 2025

Food & Beverages Green Development

Guidelines
Detailed and practical “How to” instructions guiding EU SMEs in understanding and complying with market access requirements in various sectors.
Our guidelines come enriched with screenshots to take you through administrative processes step by step and FAQs tailored for EU SMEs.

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Payment Options and Foreign Exchange Control in China: 2025 Update

guideline| 10 April 2025

Payment Business Basics

Guidelines on GACC/CIFER Registration for European F&B Establishments: 2024 Update

guideline| 22 July 2024

Food & Beverages GACC CIFER

Reports
Comprehensive overviews of specific business sectors, our reports cover a wide range of areas such as market structure and key players, policy drivers and regulatory requirements, standards and certification, current data, future trends and directions.

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Ways to Enter the Chinese Market: 2025 Update

report| 19 May 2025

Enter the Market Business Basics

Waste Reduction and Recycling in China’s F&B Sector

report| 27 November 2024

Food & Beverages Green Development

Case Studies
Open-access studies, often based on one-to-one interviews, on specific EU SMEs with direct experience in the Chinese market, sharing insights on the challenges they encountered as well as recommendations for other European SMEs.

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F&B Waste Recycling: EU-China Joint Projects Under Horizon Europe

case-study| 19 December 2024

Case Study Series Food & Beverages Green Development

Managing Hazardous Waste and Environmental Risks: An Interview with West Bridge Curium

case-study| 21 November 2024

Chemicals Green Development Case Study Series

Webinars
Our online seminars and workshops with expert speakers who expand on the topics covered in our reports, inform and guide businesses through China’s regulatory changes, trade fairs, due diligence steps, intellectual property right protection and more.
If you missed one of our events, you can access the recording and the slides here.

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Payment Options & Foreign Exchange Control in China

webinar| 27 May 2025

Payment Business Basics

China’s Healthcare Sector: Market Updates

webinar| 23 May 2025

Healthcare Pharmaceuticals

FAQs
Practical answers to the 68 most frequently asked questions we receive from business enquiries: selecting e-commerce platforms, registering a company in China, invoicing and paying the right taxes, getting products certified and hiring staff, the solution may be a click away.

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Service Providers
Small and medium-sized enterprises may have difficulty in finding service providers that understand their specific needs. You will find here a list of companies working with SMEs in the Chinese market.

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Partners
Our Partners

Become a Partner
Our Partners
The EU SME Centre has a network of partners located throughout Europe and China, sharing a common goal of facilitating trade and assisting companies in their internationalisation plans. You will find here all the organisations that are official partners of the EU SME Centre.

Our Partners

Business Tampere

Business Tampere is the economic development agency for the Tampere region, promoting vitality, attracting investments, and supporting local businesses in growth and internationalization through collaboration.What does Business Tampere do?We support local companies in growth, internationalization, and developing the business ecosystem,assist in building networks and fostering research and development collaborations,encourage participation in development projects and experiments,promote investments and assist in company relocation to the region, andprovide businesses with information about the region’s business and innovation environment.Business Tampere is owned by the municipalities of the Tampere region: Tampere, Kangasala, Lempäälä, Nokia, Orivesi, Pirkkala, Vesilahti, and Ylöjärvi. Business Tampere collaborates closely with the public sector, educational institutions, and companies in the area.

European Clusters Alliance

European Clusters Alliance connects the clusters with European institutions on the one hand, and among each other on the other hand. ECA facilitates connections and solutions to the challenges we face. The alliance positions industrial clusters as key agents in the European innovative ecosystem for the development and growth of our economy and competitiveness.The association joins 25 national associations of clusters and ambassadors from countries without national cluster networks. Through the networks, ECA unites more than 1000 cluster organisations on European level. These make up for 150,000 of our most innovative businesses and around 11,000 universities, research centres, and public institutions.

Become a Partner
Our partnership programme has been designed to add value to the activities and services of our partners with the common goal of supporting SMEs interested in doing business in China.

Become a Partner
News & Events
Upcoming Events

Press Corner
Upcoming Events
Join our seminars offline and online, meet new investors and distributors for your products at roadshows, stay informed on trade fairs all over China. We organise activities for SMEs of all industries.

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14 June 2025

Business Roundtable: Asia Pacific Outlook

Event| Shanghai

25 June 2025

Unlocking Opportunities in China’s Silver Economy: A Growing Market for Foreign Investors

Event| Beijing & Online

Press Corner
All our announcements, open calls, and press releases on new partnerships, meetings and updates on the EU SME Centre’s services and activities.

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06 June 2025

Job Openings at the EU SME Centre: Join Our Team in Phase V

The EU SME Centre is a European Union initiative that provides a comprehensive range of hands-on support services to European…

05 June 2025

The EU SME Centre Phase IV Holds its Final Conference

On 4 June 2025, the EU SME Centre organised the final conference for the project’s Phase IV, which ran from…
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How can we help you?

Registering a company

Do I need to set up a company in China?

What types of companies can I establish in China?

How long does it take to set up a company in China?

Are there restrictions for setting up foreign-invested companies in China?

How do I select a location for setting up my company in China?

Are there preferential policies for setting up a company in China?

Can I register a company in co-working spaces / incubators?

What name should I choose for my Chinese company?

Exporting to China

How can I export goods to China?

How can I export services to China?

What types of distributors exist in China?

How can I find potential Chinese partners?

Which is the safest payment method to use in transactions with China?

Can I use the same HS code that I use to export to other countries?

IPR

The importance of protecting your intellectual property rights

Legal and disputes

Can I choose foreign law as the governing law of business contracts?

How to ensure that an arbitration clause is valid in China? What arbitration bodies can be chosen?

Can I choose arbitration in my country or in Hong Kong?

Notarisation fees for business contracts: necessity or scam?

How to conduct primary due diligence in China?

What to do when a commercial dispute arises?

How can I know if the chops used by Chinese companies are valid?

What to do if I am scammed?

Can my mainland China business partner be based in Hong Kong?

Tax, finance and accounting

What taxes are involved when goods are imported into China?

What are the taxation requirements for foreign companies operating in China?

What is the distinction between ‘General VAT payer’ and ‘Small-scale VAT payer’?

What is a fapiao?

What are the main tax preferential policies for foreign companies investing in China?

How can I repatriate profits from China to the parent company abroad?

Are taxes payable in China for a European company providing services to a client in mainland China?

How to know what custom duties apply to my products to be imported in China?

Human Resources

Is it possible for EU citizens to travel to China without a visa?

Can a company without legal presence in China employ Chinese citizens in China?

Do foreign workers in China have to pay taxes and social security in China?

Is it possible to hire foreign interns in mainland China?

Can foreign workers work for short-term periods in mainland China?

Is it possible to outsource HR and payroll management in China?

Standards & compliance

What are the main certification, marking and licensing requirements?

How can I find the relevant Chinese standard for my product? How can I access the full texts in English?

Customs inspections and market surveillance

What is the China Compulsory Certificate (CCC)?

Can I select foreign testing, inspection and certification bodies in China for conformity assessment?

Who is liable if my product does not meet Chinese standards?

Sustainability and Green Development

Which sector currently offers the largest business opportunities for European SMEs?

What are the key environmental regulations European SMEs need to comply with in China?

Are there incentives for adopting energy-efficient or renewable energy technologies in China?

IT and data

Do I need to comply with China's cybersecurity laws?

What is the ICP license for websites and apps?

Are EU SMEs subject to limitations for cross-border data transfer?

Are there other certification/license requirements for IT products?

E-commerce and CBEC

What is Cross-Border E-Commerce?

What is the difference between e-commerce and Cross-Border E-Commerce?

What is the customs clearance process for CBEC imports? Is GACC/CIFER registration needed?

How are payments handled on Chinese CBEC platforms?

Are there preferential tax rates for goods imported into China via CBEC?

Can I sell in offline stores a product exported to China via CBEC?

What are China’s popular e-commerce and CBEC platforms?

Can I sell to Chinese consumers via my own company's website?

What to do if my product is sold illegally on Chinese e-commerce platforms?

Food & beverage

What resources does the EU SME Centre have in the F&B sector?

What are the market entry channels available?

What is the GACC/CIFER registration required for all F&B producers?

What products are exempted from GACC/CIFER registration?

What are the general technical labelling requirements for F&B products?

How can I know if there is a government protocol in place for my product?

Meat: EU producers authorised to export to China

Seafood: Are EU producers authorised to export to China?

Dairy products: EU producers authorised to export to China

How can I export wine to China?

Are EU Geographical Indications recognised in China?