The business regulatory environment in China is in constant evolution, prompting local administrations to understand, manage, and carry out the new regulations issued at the national and provincial level, a task that can be burdensome due to the complexity of the matters involved. Recently, the Shanghai Municipality issued the «Shanghai Action Plan to Adhere to Benchmark Reform and Continuously Create a World-Class Business Environment», whose main intent is to reach a greater optimization of the business environment in China, so as to attract top-quality domestic and international companies.

As a legal and tax consultancy firm with a solid footprint in Shanghai, CPO & Partners went to visit the Jing’an Administrative Service Center to have a meeting with the district administration on the new policies for investment projects found in the «Shanghai Action Plan».

This represents a precious opportunity for CPO & Partners to make inroads into the local regulatory environment, a task that can sometimes be challenging due to language and cultural differences that can create communication hindrances and reduce the exchange benefits. Moreover, dealing with the district authorities is a good way to network with local offices and understand their functioning, in the belief that only by properly knowing the administrative system one can accurately provide consultation, in order to reach a win-win outcome that is advantageous for both parties.

The establishment of the joint venture榫桥卯梁Sun Qiao Mao Liang, born from the partnership between CPO & Partners and local experts, brings forward a new entity that has the purpose of incentivizing business connections between China and Europe, by creating a solid bridge between these two realities.

The name chosen for this new project is a statement in itself on the beliefs that guide such partnership. The four Chinese characters are actually the merge of two distinct words: 榫卯 and 桥梁. The second, qiaoliang, means bridge, symbolizing the channel that the joint venture aims to create between the Chinese and European business worlds. The first, sunmao, a mortise and tenon joint, bears a richer cultural significance which delves deep into Chinese history. Sunmao was a structural method employed in ancient Chinese architecture and furniture characterized by the combination of a concave and a convex part without using any nails. Its peculiarity lies not only in its ingenuity, but especially in the need for a perfect fit between each component. It is this very fit that gives solidity and durability to the whole structure, as demonstrated by the Forbidden City, a precious example of this method that clearly stands the test of time.

It is under this spirit that Sun Qiao Mao Liang is going to operate: establishing a perfect and lasting fit between Chinese and Foreign actors, to create a stable bridge between China and Europe, a connection based on solid ground and capable of resisting the challenge of time.

To introduce this new joint venture, an event sponsored by the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Banca Intesa Sanpaolo, Cpo & Partners and Jiashan Hangqike Industrial Park Management Co., Ltd. [check name], will be held on 15^th March in Suzhou, during which an overview of the current and future business relations between China and Italy will be presented.

On January 26th, CPO & Partners had the privilege of engaging in a series of productive meetings with government officials in Jiaxing, China. The discussions centered on the diverse investment opportunities available in the region, highlighting Jiaxing’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment in Jiaxing for international business collaborations.

The visit was further enriched by an immersive experience in Science City, a hub of innovation and technology that exemplifies the forward-thinking ethos of Jiaxing. Additionally, we had the opportunity to visit CEBI, a renowned company in the automotive sector, which stands as a testament to the robust industrial capabilities and business-friendly policies in place.

These encounters underline the potential for fruitful partnerships and investments in Jiaxing, reinforcing CPO & Partners’ commitment to facilitating cross-border connections with industrial parks, with the project for year 2024 to create an investment platform for foreign companies that could be guided in the difficult interpretation of rules and choice of the most proper location for their investments. We remain dedicated to exploring avenues that benefit our clients and contribute to the economic development of the regions in which we operate.

CPO & Partners Shanghai Office Holiday Closure Announcement

CPO & Partners Shanghai will observe the Chinese New Year Holiday from February 10th to February 17th, 2024.