Tuesday 24 December 2013

Updates to Immigration Regulations and Practices, December 2013

1. New visa types related to our clients

The S visa, or private affairs visa, is a brand new category for family members of those employed in China. Family members include spouses, parents, children under 18, and parents’ in-law. This visa is split into two categories, a S1 visa for long-term stays and a S2 visa for short term stays. The private affairs visa is also applicable for those needing to reside in Beijing for personal affairs.

One major redesign in the new visa laws includes the distinction between a non-business F visa and the business M visa. In the past, the F visa was the sole business visa designation; the M category did not exist. Under the new regulations, F visas are for foreigners who come to China, for exchange, visit, or inspection. M visas will be issued for those coming for business or commercial activities. 

Visa Type
Description
Z
Employment visa For those working in China
S
Private affairs visa For family members of those employed in China
F
Non-business visa For non-business exchanges and visits
M
Business visa For those engaging in business and trade activities
R
Professional in short supply visa For those who are highly skilled professionals or whose skills are urgently needed by China

2. Work permit and Residence permit renewal in Beijing and Shanghai

Work permit (WP) renewal: 1 working day in Beijing, 3 working days in Shanghai
Residence permit (RP) renewal: 15 working day in Beijing, 7 working days in Shanghai (instead of previous 5 working day)
It’s regulated by the PSB that the RP renewal application should be submitted before the 30 days of the expiry. And the WP renewal now can be submitted within 60 days before expiry. So far there is no punishment or fine if the RP will be extended within the 30 days before expiry, but it will affect the personal credit record at the PSB.  Regarding the detailed implementation of the credit record, the PSB is still working on it.

3. Marriage certificate and Birth certificate for family

PSB suggested the applicant to apply for the legalization at the Chinese Embassy in home country, the original legalization will be required for the renewal in 2014, and however, it's unsure when it will take effect

4. PSB receipt for travelling

The PSB has started to use the new version of the visa application receipt, which the applicant’s picture is printed on the receipt. Practically it can be used to travel by train, and potentially by flight with some airline companies in mainland China. However, so far there is no official confirmation by any government authorities/airport that the PSB regarding the receipt.

Monday 16 December 2013

Updates to Immigration Regulations and Practices, May 2013

There have been a number of changes to immigration regulations and practices this year and more are being introduced on July 1st 2013, including the new Entry-Exit Law. The new law will replace the existing regulations, which have been in effect since 1986. It covers every aspect of the visa system, including residency for foreigners and liabilities for immigration violations. 

CHANGES IN BEIJING SINCE FEBRUARY 2013

In Beijing, there is a new requirement that the company HR must visit the Labor Bureau when applying for an Employment License for the potential foreign employee. This cannot be handled by an immigration agent alone. This requirement may be only an interim requirement and subject to change. Up till now, we haven’t been advised that this regulation also applies in Shanghai or other cities. 
There is now a provision for visa free entry (72 hours) into Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou for citizens of certain countries, although please note that it is wise to have an onward booking to a third country, not back to one’s home country. 
In terms of the new regulations, apart from filling some gaps or inconsistencies in processes and relaxing restrictions on de facto and same sex applicants, going forward, we can expect far greater scrutiny of foreigners coming to China on F Visas (Business visas), with the government attempting to ensure that people on F visas are not working but simply making a business visit. 
Citizens of some "sensitive" countries (such as Pakistan, India, some Middle Eastern countries and perhaps even the Philippines) may have increasing difficulty in obtaining F visas. 

NEW IMMIGRATION PRACTICES

Please see the following information taken from a seminar regarding the new immigration regulations, that was given recently by the Head of the Visa Section of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in Beijing: 
The final rules regarding implementation are currently still under discussion, and so whilst the Beijing PSB has worked out a draft, it will still take time to officially publish all the new regulations. Please see below for the current draft as laid out at the seminar in April. While it is likely that all these regulations will be applied nationally, at this stage, until we see the implementing regulations, we can only be certain that they apply to Beijing and in Shanghai, except where indicated in this document. 

1. The definitions and differences between the two visa categories 
A visa for a period of less than 180 days is a “stay”, e.g. an L or F visa 
A visa for a period of more than 180 days is “Residence”, e.g. a Residence Permit (RP) 
2. Duration for applying for an extension to a visa 
L or F visa extensions should be applied for 7 days (at the latest) before the expiration date. Applications within the final week before expiration cannot be guaranteed. 
Similarly, RP extensions should be applied for 30 days before the expiration date at the very latest. 

3. Changes of the format and information on the visa page 
The duration of the short term “Z” visa, formally written as “000” on the visa page, will be changed to “30 days”. 

4. L and F Visa Extensions 
The validity for an F or L visa extension will be less, in total, than the validity of the original F or L visa. For example, taking an original multi-entry F visa valid for one year, with each entry valid for a maximum stay duration of 30 days: an extension for this visa can only be issued for no more than30 days, but there is no limit on the number of times it can be extended within that year. 

The PSB would consider keeping the original F or L visa on the passport as well as the extension, whereby the applicant can still use the original F visa to enter China later. This differs from the previous regulation, where an original F Visa is usually cancelled once the applicant has an extension. This regulation however is still under discussion. 

5. Visa validity 
(1) The new rule will provide the minimum validity for a visa: 
For work purposes: 90 days to 5 years 
For non-work purposes (such as visiting family): 180 days to 5 years 
Under the old rule, the PSB would only issue an RP for 60 days for an applicant who would be considered as an “ineligible” employee (an employee who the PSB believes would be ineligible to apply for a one year RP, and so would issue a 60-day RP which could be extended). Under the new rule however, the PSB will issue an RP valid for a minimum of 90 days for an applicant who would be considered as an “ineligible” employee 

Long length visas 
A: The person legally responsible for the company (the ‘legal person’) will be entitled to an RP valid for 2 years 
B: RPs valid for up to 5 years can be obtained by the following people: (1) high level talents, e.g. returned Chinese / original Chinese who hold foreign passports (2) employees of companies whose head office is registered in Beijing are eligible if the company has obtained a special permit from the relevant government authority 

6. Adding biometric information 
For 1st time RP applications, the applicant will need to visit the PSB to give a copy of their fingerprints. 

7. The processing time of the Residence Documents (only confirmed for Beijing to date) 
L /F visas remain the same - 5 working days 
RP Applications: 15 days (not confirmed yet if its 15 days or working days, although Saturdays are a public holiday, and so are excluded from the processing time) 

8. A foreigner who is 16 or older is required to bring their passports for random checking 

9. Residence Registration Paper (RRP) 
Foreign nationals who live in local compounds should apply for the RRP within 24 hours of arriving in China. Regarding the RRP application, please consult the local police station instead of the PSB as it’s not the PSB’s responsibility. 
For foreign nationals who often travel overseas, please double check with the local police station on the status of their RRP to make sure the RRP in the police station’s records does not show the foreign national as ‘leaving’. 

10. Illegal employment 
1. A person who works in China without a valid employment license, work permit and residence permit, unless an exemption is obtained. Work is considered to be taking place if the foreigner and the employer have an actual working relationship, regardless of whether a formal contract exists. 
2. A person who works for employers other than the sponsor of his or her work permit. 
3. A person who works in cities other than those where his or her work permit sponsor is registered. 
4. Students working without authorization or beyond the scope of school-related, campus work. 

11. Illegal Residency 
1. Staying beyond the validity of a visa. 
2. Staying beyond the visa-free period without acquiring a visa or residence permit. 
3. Staying outside residence areas designated by the government. 
4. Any other illegal residence situation. 

12. Punishment 
New born babies who aren’t registered/apply for a visa 
Old regulation: no punishment 
New regulation: a fine of more than RMB2,000 

Illegal residence/stay 
Old regulation: RMB500/day, the maximum is RMB5,000 
New regulation: RMB500/day, the maximum is RMB10,000 


13. Notice for applications before the new regulations take effect 
(1)Passport number changes 
If not in conjunction with an RP extension, the applicant only needs to provide their RRP and a letter of proof from the company stating the reason for the passport number change 

(2)RP for parents in law (This has not yet been confirmed for Shanghai) 
If parents in law can provide kinship relationship documents, they can apply for dependent’s RP. For foreign nationals who have more than one wife, as long as the Marriage certificates can be provided, the PSB can process the RPs as special cases. 

(3) Additionally, for unmarried couples, or for gay and lesbian couples, the PSB will respect these relationships, as long as they can provide cohabitation documentation which is issued by their Embassies in China. The PSB can then process the RPs as special cases. This will be the situation in Beijing, but it is unclear if this will be consistent across China. In Shanghai, a cohabitation document is insufficient. The PSB will only accept a de facto marriage certificate and some Consulates will not issue these. 

OTHER IMMIGRATION NOTICES
Other Notices 
1. Yellow slips/PSB receipts for visa applications – can they be used instead of a passport for domestic travel 

(1)The PSB issues a receipt which only proves the applicant’s passport is at the PSB for visa issues. It’s not equivalent to personal ID, which is required when taking a plane, train, or boat. 
The Shanghai PSB, however, does provide a receipt which can be used for travel domestically, but this is only a local regulation, and so far is only available in Shanghai. This is currently not available in any other cities in China. We are also not sure if this travel receipt issued in Shanghai will still work after July 1st when the new regulations will take effect. 
(2) Foreign nationals over 16 years of age 
Foreign nationals over 16 years of age should carry their original passport with him/her, in case the police wish to carry out a random check. Those who do not carry their original passport could receive a fine. 
Therefore, the PSB will not take any responsibility if applicants have their passport checked in other cities whilst their original passport is in the Beijing PSB. The PSB suggests that applicants should not travel to other cities during their visa application period. 

2. RRP 
Foreign nationals should update their RRP at their local police station every time after returning to China from overseas. Some local policemen may change the status of a foreign national to ‘leaving’ when they leave China, and the PSB cannot process a visa application if an RRP status is set to ‘leaving’. When returning from overseas, foreign nationals should check with their local police station to ensure that their RRP status is not set to ‘leaving’. 

FAQ

Some Q&A 

1. Medical checkups 
Under the old regulations it wasn’t necessary for applicants under 18 years of age to take a medical checkup. Under the new law, however, only applicants under the age of 16 are exempt from medical checkups. 

2. Working in different cities 
Wherever the foreign national works for the majority of the time is where the WP and RP should be applied for. This, however, is dependent on the practical situation of the company involved. 

3. Visa transfers 
One visa type cannot be transferred another type of visa in Beijing. F visas cannot be changed into L visas; F visas cannot be turned into Z visas and so on. However, it’s possible that exceptions may be made for senior managers in the company, which will be handled on a case-by-case basis. 

4. 72 hours visa free 
Some foreign nationals who hold an onward ticket to a third country can have 72 hours visa free in Beijing. This is not available in all parts of China, nor is it available to all foreign nationals. This visa cannot be extended at the PSB. 

Saturday 31 August 2013

An Interview with Asia Pacific Access - Mission, Philosophy and View about Chongqing

 Interviewee: Shelley Warner

By Chongqing Currents
Issue No.: July-August, 2013


What is Asia Pacific Access? What are its purpose and task? Why did you found it?

We are a small diversified consulting company; I guess that would be the best way to describe us. We currently have three branches around China: Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing. We founded the company because each of us had a very strong interest in China and wanted to act as a bridge between China and the West. We saw so many misunderstandings and miscommunications, both ways: between foreigners and Chinese and the other way around and felt we knew a little that could help dispel some of those misunderstandings and miscommunications. We also wanted to help foreigners enjoy China – rather than finding it intimidating

Our roles are several, Development Assistance used to be one of our main roles – and we still do a little development assistance work with agencies like the Asia Development Bank, but our work with the bilateral donors has virtually vanished  as most of them have ceased giving developmental assistance support to China given China’s rapid economic and social development.

Orientation is another main role – we have around China a team of people in over a dozen cities, who work to help make the experience of foreigners in China a smooth one. This team comprises mainly expats who have already settled successfully and happily into the city they are orienting new comers to. They not only work with local realtors to help find a home, but also give advice on schooling, explain medical facilities; introduce them to expat and local networks in areas of similar interest and we also try to open the veil to show to expats coming to China what an exciting and interesting place it is

Cross Cultural training is another of our main tasks.  We have been running these courses in China now for 20 years. China has changed in that period and so of course our training content and focus has also had to change. We run these courses for foreigners and Chinese working in Multinational corporations; for Chinese and foreigners working in Chinese corporations and also for Chinese going abroad, whether on short term visits or to work in Chinese invested or foreign owned companies abroad for a longer period of time.

How about Asia Pacific Access’s development in China, why did you choose to enter Chongqing?

We started small. In the first few months just myself and a Chinese colleague, who later became our Office Manager, in 1993 around our dining table at home A few months later we had a legally registered Representative Office and a real office address near Ritan Park in Beijing. In those days it wasn’t easy for small foreign consulting companies to set up business in China. So a representative office was the way to go, representing other companies and our own small Australian company to look for business and trading opportunities, mainly at that time between China and Australia. Through helping foreign business find opportunities in China to invest, we also saw that there was a need for helping those foreigners who came to work in China, to adjust to living here. In the early 1990s, Beijing wasn’t as sophisticated/cosmopolitan a city as it is now. There were only a handful of places where foreigners could live, outside those few hotels authorized to receive foreign guests, one Western standard supermarket and not much of a foreign community. Newcomers found the city quite intimidating. We set up a Wholly Owned Foreign company as soon as we were legally able to in 2001 and in 2004 set up our Branch Office in Shanghai to meet the very strong demand for our services in Shanghai and its neighboring provinces for our services. I think it is safe to say that we were the first genuine relocation company in Beijing –we were not a moving company, not a realtor but a company whose focus was on people.

Why did we choose to enter Chongqing?  A whole range of reasons. It was clearly a fast growing city, with some very substantial foreign investment coming in but at the same time it wasn’t a very easy city for expats to live in and for foreign businessmen to handle. We saw a niche opportunity for our services. We try to help foreigners and foreign business adjust well to their new Chinese environments.  While Chongqing is moving fast to become an international city, and its progress in infrastructure development is remarkable, I would even say unbelievable – the “soft” side still has a way to go. Little English is spoken; contact with “western“ ways of doing things is still relatively new; the opportunities for enjoyment and interest here are vast, but they are largely invisible or non-existent to the average expat.

It was our vision of the future of Chongqing which brought us to Chongqing. In many ways Chongqing is a more attractive choice for certain sectors of incoming foreign direct investment (FDI) than Beijing, Shanghai and even Shenzhen. Ford Motor Corporation’s decision to place its largest production plant in Chongqing is an example of the economic rationality of investing in Chongqing.  Our direct commercial experience though our Beijing headquarters and Shanghai Branch is that those cities are becoming less competitive in many industrial sectors because of higher wage pressures, office, industrial estate and housing rentals and living costs. Under the 12th Five year plan improved rail, expressway and waterways improvements are completed or well underway. For export purposes, this transportation investment is giving Chongqing cost effective access to the Beihai sea port and Southeast Asia through Vietnam and Myanmar. Furthermore Chongqing has an abundance of industrial parks.

So as we anticipate a growing inflow of FDI to Chongqing we see a growing need for our relocation and cross-cultural training services in this remarkable city.

What role does the cross-culture training program play in a transnational company (TNC) or institution (TNI)?

To put it simply, the expatriate and her/his family assigned to Chongqing by a TNC or TNI has four choices in how to respond to Chongqing’s business and social culture:

(i)  Retreat into an expatriate ghetto existence;
(ii)  Roll with whatever happens without understanding why it happens;
(iii)  learn what personal and institutional culture is determining what happens, which makes it easier to roll with it; and
(iv) analyse what behaviours of the Chinese people and institutions s/he works with that s/he can influence.  The outcomes generally will be reconciliation between Chinese cultural norms and the expat’s cultural norms.

To keep it simple, Chinese working with expatriates in a TNC or TNI, or dealing with expatriates through supplying goods or services to a TNC or TNI have choices (ii) to (iv).  For both expatriates and Chinese it is mastering  (iii) and (iv) which will achieve efficiencies in the work place and better cooperation across cultures socially.  Our cross cultural training is aimed at passing on skills in (iii) and (iv).

Therefore our training in the first place helps to develop a better understanding of the other culture and ways of doing things. There is a tendency amongst some foreigners assigned to work in Chongqing to say “Why can’t the Chinese do things the way we do”. So we explain how different social development in different societies produces differences in behaviour. We also look at value systems and analyse why China’s economic development and its social and political history have created institutions with a way of management and business which is very different from a western way. We try to develop an understanding and appreciation of the other side and this is the first step towards reducing conflicts. We look, for example, at notions of “face” of “guanxi” and of honesty

A foreign manager needs to understand “face”.   While his/her Chinese counterpart needs to understand how important it is in a Western context, to speak your mind, to raise your opinion even if it is in contradiction to that of their boss . Other examples are running a meeting; the importance of protocol in seating at a banquet

Is surviving in China as an expat more difficult than in other countries?

Yes and No. China is actually rated as one of the more difficult countries for expats to live and work in - The Global Relocation management company, Brookfield’s 2013 Global Relocation Trends Survey,  has listed China, Brazil and India, in that order, as the countries with the most Asia Pacific Accesschallenges for international assignees.

For China and India, cultural and family adaptation and quality of life issues were predominant. I can very readily see those difficulties, but a personal and professional relocation and cultural training program can alleviate those problems.  And there really are a lot of positives which too often aren’t recognized about China:  Chinese people are very open and welcoming. They are not closed to contact with foreigners i – this opens great and rewarding opportunities for foreigners willing to reach out. And at the same time, China has such a rich and varied history and culture - there is so much to explore and understand. If I was to compare China with my country, Australia for example: Australia is a wonderful country with warm and friendly people, but they are actually not as friendly or as hospitable as the Chinese. And while we have wonderful scenery and a relaxed way of life in Australia, there is a limit to the cultural and historical activities you can explore. I know where I would rather be J

Is settling happily into Chongqing as an expat more difficult than in other Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai?

At least two categories of expats are likely to find settling into Chongqing as easy as settling into Beijing or Shanghai.  One category is the expat that has worked previously in China or elsewhere in those Asian countries whose national cultures have not been heavily influenced by the cultures of European colonial powers that administered them for many centuries.  The other category is the younger or middle aged expat whose academic training included a lot of focus on China and especially if it included learning Chinese. These, however, are a minority of the expats and their accompanying family members whom TNCs and TNIs assign to Chongqing.

The majority of expats coming on resident visas or even on business visitor visas to Chongqing will not find their living adjustment as easy as settling into Beijing or Shanghai. That is true, but, these days, Chongqing is really a far more interesting city than either Beijing or Shanghai. Beijing and Shanghai are almost too comfortable. You can just about live in those cities as you would in most other modern Western cities. But then why come to China if you’re not going to have new and different and challenging experiences?  You can settle happily into Chongqing but you do need to have an adventurous spirit in Chongqing if you are going to really enjoy it.. Surviving in Chongqing shouldn't be a problem – there is good housing; an excellent international school; a good range of shopping, an active expatriate association, Chongqing International Women’s Group, but what we hope to see is expatriates thriving in Chongqing. Really enjoying it
  
Please talk about Chongqing, what do you think of this city?

To be frank, I think Chongqing is an amazing city. We first came to Chongqing in 1978 and it was extremely poor. It had gone through a very tough Cultural Revolution and the city felt and looked rather battered, tired and depressed. There was one bridge across the Yangtze; very few big buildings; many wooden houses clinging to the rocky outcrops on the peninsula; many “bang bang” men. Most of the economic activity was related to Chongqing’s position as a port on the Yangtze. Today, the infrastructure development, the bridges, tunnels, new highways, the extraordinary new buildings and the night views – take my breath away. But such fast development must also be a big strain on people who live here and those who have come from the countryside to build the city. Maybe it has happened all a bit too fast. Such a big fast moving city may be quite overwhelming even for Chongqing people and for newly arrived expats. It can take a bit of courage to get used to, to feel comfortable in .But there is a lot to do here and our company wants to be able to show expats living in Chongqing how interesting it is.

From the point of view of history – Chongqing has a long history, dating back to the Ba civilization, over 3000 years ago and the Three Gorges museum has some interesting exhibits from that period; while the Immigration Museum in the Huguang Guild describes the mass migration of people from some eastern provinces to Sichuan in the early Qing dynasty (some three hundred plus years ago) and the impact that had on Chongqing.

Chongqing also has, for expats, interesting more recent history, which can easily be explored: Chongqing was the wartime capital of China for almost a decade and suffered years of terrible bombing during the anti-Japanese war; it was also the site for United Front co-operation between the Communist party and the Nationalist Government – with many interesting stories to tell there. There are museums and old sites which can be visited and local historians who would be happy to describe the history. Many foreign countries had their Embassies here in the middle of the 20th C, when Chongqing was the capital of China – they moved inland from Nanjing together with the Nationalist government of the time. The American presence here was also very strong: General Stillwell; the Flying Tigers. But, apart from history, the cultural side is also interesting – there are many ancient stone villages not too far from Chongqing, really worth exploring; there are hot springs; ancient temples; also villages specializing in various handicrafts such as ceramics, bamboo lanterns, ink stones and folding fans;  not to speak of the contemporary art scene at and around the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.

There really is so much to do here 

Is Chongqing an ideal place for foreigners for living in and doing business?
How can Chongqing become more international?

Chongqing is an excellent place for foreigners to do business with Chinese State and private corporations.  Despite evident win-win gains, however, it is not an easy place for foreigners to on-sell their services to TNCs and TNIs already established in Chongqing.  The reason for this is the tendency for TNCs and TNIs to put their decision makers in the modern, international comforts of Shanghai, or within range of lobbying China’s National Government in Beijing. Doing business with these TNCs and TNIs involves convincing the decision makers in Shanghai or Beijing.

Here is a hypothesis that could and should be tested.  Foreign top managers of TNCs and TNIs send only that part of their organization to Chongqing that absolutely needs to be in Chongqing, namely their production plants.  The white collar, decision making staff of the TNCs and TNIs (foreigners and nationals) tend to live in Shanghai or Beijing.   One argument given for this decision is that it easier to manage TNC and TNI operations in several Chinese cities from either of the two most central points – Shanghai or Beijing.  

This locational division occurs irrespective of cost savings of placing such staff in Chongqing  

If this hypothesis is largely correct, then how to make Chongqing more international in large part means how to capture for Chongqing the combination of factors that draw so many people and companies (both foreign and Chinese) to Shanghai?  The specific answer involves drawing to Chongqing the symbiotic and complex collection of service industries that exist in a city like Shanghai or London or New York – not to scale of Shanghai or London or New York but to a similar variety of services.  Building this complex of services will need the entrepreneurship of both Chinese and foreigners. It involves upping the urban comfort level of those who come to reside in Chongqing – complex things like better traffic control, better regional and international transport services, patient focused health services, housing that accommodates modern living styles by minor improvements such as enlargement of kitchens and bathrooms, gas and supplementary solar power, more home delivery services, efficient well equipped repair companies, and so the list goes on.

In addition to these tangible items, there is the intangible but visible Chongqing culture which shouldn’t just be frozen in museums.  Chongqing is a unique river cross-roads city.  Any nodes of old Chongqing should be revitalized by repair and addition of amenities like gas TV cable and city sanitation pipes.  And its residents encouraged to continue living there.  Create a living part of Chongqing’s special heritage and culture.  This is how cities become to be seen as world cities.    ..    

What is Asia Pacific Access’s long-term goal in Chongqing? How will you promote your program in local enterprises which have done or will grow overseas business? 

Our long term goal in Chongqing is to make a recognizable contribution to Chongqing becoming a booming, livable international city, highly attractive to FDI ,with foreigners keen to come on assignment to the city and Chongqing nationals highly competent and confident to work with those foreigners as colleagues and, looking ahead, as managers of those foreigners.

There are two target groups to whom we believe we can add value by improving efficiency and personal satisfaction levels in Chongqing – (i) expats; and (ii) Chinese nationals.

Firstly about expats: We aim to help more expats understand and appreciate Chongqing and to enjoy the experience of living here. We would like to join together with other local groups and companies to show foreigners how interesting Chongqing is as a city and also, how many interesting people live in this city.
Secondly about Chinese nationals:   We would also like to help Chongqing business people work better with foreigners: whether it is in Chongqing itself or to support the Chongqing enterprises as they reach out looking for opportunities abroad for investment. Since Chongqing’s interaction with the West has in recent years been relatively limited, we would like to introduce our Chongqing colleagues to Western business culture; western business etiquette. What are the expectations of a Western company; how to best promote their products; how to put together a power point presentation which would be persuasive for a Western audience; how not to upset or have conflicts or miscommunication with Western businessmen they meet. This can be helpful to Chongqing delegations going on overseas visits looking for business opportunities and also for Chongqing enterprises as they invest overseas.

There is now a considerable amount of information about the cross-cultural and cross-institutional cultural issues which Chinese companies (listed and non-listed SOEs and private companies) have confronted when investing overseas. Some of that information is in the overseas press and more so now in disciplined academic research.  We follow this information closely. For example there is a recurrence of poor relations with foreign communities residing close by the investment and with key foreign institutions such as local Trade Unions.  One may argue these issues can be solved by better PR (publicity campaigns).  We say PR has a role but the key is cross-cultural – adjustment of both personal behaviour of Chinese staff and institutional behaviour of the Chinese company to blend in to the local overseas business and social scene.  We train Chinese staff before they go overseas, and we are available to visit the Chinese investment site and make recommendations to corporate cross-cultural sensitivity and adjustment.
  
We see our role as a bridge not just to Westerners coming to China, but to bring our time and experience in China to also support Chongqing enterprises looking overseas.