CPO & Partners was awarded the Nanhu District of Jiaxing, Excellent Partner

Last 10 January 2025, a delegation of CPO Shanghai was invited to visit the complex of the People’s Government of Jiaxing City’s Nanhu District, to attend the 2025 Nanhu District Investment Promotion Conference and receive the award of Excellent Partner. On the occasion, at the presence of the authorities representing the District, Mr. Chen Fangtian, Legal Associate, representing CPO, retrieved the award of Excellent Partner, in recognition of the networking activities organized as an investment promotion ambassador of Nanhu District in China and abroad. Last year, CPO and its Joint Venture Dragon Bridge Investment cooperated with representatives from Nanhu to facilitate the introduction of the District as an ideal hub for foreign investors in China.

In particular, CPO was among the sponsors of the event “Destination Yangtze River Delta: Meeting with Jiaxing, Nanhu District”, held in Milan, Palazzo Clerici, on 5 September 2024 with more than 80 participants whose most part were renowned and excellent Italian SMEs, while both CPO and Dragon Bridge Investment sponsored the event “Shanghai and Jiaxing: A New Opportunity”, activity organized in the context of the November 2024 CIIE (China International Import Expo).

This award brings forth a new year sets to build on past achievements and make further progress in the bilateral investment promotion between Italy and China.

Great Year of the Snake 2025

CPO & Partners Shanghai Office Holiday Closure Announcement

CPO & Partners Shanghai will observe the Chinese New Year Holiday from January 28th to February 4th, 2025.

On 4 December, a delegation of CPO visited Automechanika Shanghai 2024, the annual trade fair, this year at its twentieth edition, hosted at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The 2024 edition, held from 2 to 5 December, saw the confirmed participation of 6,763 exhibitors, including 17 pavilions dedicated to specific international countries and regions.

A reference point in the auto-motorcycle sector for domestic and international exhibitors and buyers interested in exchanging information, connecting with key market players and negotiating business agreements, Automechanika covers a wide range of industry sectors, from components to electric vehicles, from repairing to customization.

CPO has among its clients business enterprises that are excellencies in the sector, and therefore considers the participation in this year’s fair to be positive, especially in terms of networking with the companies present, international and Chinese, among which there were also some Italian companies gathered in an Italian Pavilion set up for the occasion.

China Visa Exemption Update: Extended Stay and New Eligible Countries

From November 30, 2024, travelers from Italy and nine additional countries recently added to the list – Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan – can visit China without a visa for up to 30 days per stay, after the extension of the previous limit of 15 days per stay. This policy is valid until December 31, 2025 and covers purposes such as business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, transit and exchange visits. This last purpose was newly added.

Key Clarifications:

Multiple Entries: There are no restrictions on the number of visa-free entries or total cumulative days of stay.

Documentation: Travelers should carry relevant documents, such as invitations, flight tickets, and hotel reservations, correspondent with the purpose of their visit.

This update simplifies travel for business and leisure, fostering stronger connections between China and these countries.

Yesterday, 6 November, the meeting “Shanghai and Jiaxing: a New Opportunity” was held as part of the CIIE currently underway in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, a new opportunity for exchange and dialogue between entities linked by common views.

Sponsored by Nanhu District, located in the Chinese city of Jiaxing, China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, Dragon Bridge Investment, and CPO, the event saw the participation, in addition to representatives of the sponsors, of some representatives of Italian companies present in China. The theme of the meeting, a follow-up to the event held last 5 September in Milan with the participation of a delegation from Jiaxing, was the presentation of Nanhu District as an ideal investment hub for foreign players seeking a strategic positioning within the Chinese market.

Join Us at CIIE 2024 in Shanghai!

We are pleased to inform you that CPO & Partners will be attending the China International Import Expo (CIIE) from November 5th to 10th, 2024, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai.

As one of the largest import expos in the world, CIIE provides a unique platform for global businesses, and we are eager to connect with companies looking to expand in China, Italy, and beyond. Our team of experts will be available at the Trade in Services section, booth 8.2C5-07, to discuss how we can assist your company’s international growth.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet us in person and discover more about our tailored tax and legal services.

Save the Date! We look forward to seeing you at CIIE 2024!

From September 20 to 22, 2024, the COOL CAR SHOW is taking place in Hangzhou, a major exhibition focused on the automotive sector, with an emphasis on car customization, electronic components, and vehicle accessories. The event hosts over 60,000 visitors and 1,000 selected exhibitors, creating the perfect environment to explore automotive innovations.

Among the exhibitors, we were pleased to visit the stand of 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, one of our clients, who stands out in the vehicle modification and tuning sector.

The event also features ITA/ICE (Italian Trade Agency) among its organizers, further confirming the importance of international collaboration in this field.

Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhongqiu Jie (中秋节) in Chinese,

is also called the Mooncake Festival or the Moon Festival. It was a ceremony during which people worshipped the moon, as a way to give thanks for the harvest and to encourage the “harvest-giving light” to return in the coming year. Today, it is still an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the moon, a symbol of harmony and unity. Making and sharing mooncakes is one of the hallmark traditions of this festival.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival from all CPO Staff !

China Visa exemption for Italian citizens – No limitations for multiple entries

Regarding the visa exemption for Italian citizens who travel to China for 15 days, valid until 31 December 2025, considering the importance of the policy for those who plan to visit the country for the reasons covered by the exemption, i.e. business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit, a practical clarification is useful.

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Italy specified how the exemption works in relation to the possibility of multiple entries, requirements for the time interval between each entry, and restrictions on the total cumulative number of days in which one person can stay in China.

Italian citizens who come to China to engage in the activities covered by the exemption are not subject to restrictions on the number of visa-free entries and the total number of days in which they can stay in China. If they wish, they can thus enter multiple times into the country for a period of 15 days for each stay, having the option to leave and re-enter each time by departing from any country or region outside of China.

Travelers to China are advised to keep supporting documents, especially for travelers with numerous entries, such as invitations, airline tickets and hotel reservations in line with the purpose of the visit.

Update of the double taxation Agreement between the Italian and Chinese governments

On 15 April 2024 the Council of Ministers, upon the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, approved a bill for the ratification and execution of a previous Agreement stipulated with the government of the People’s Republic of China regarding double taxation with respect to income taxes and the prevention of tax evasion and avoidance.

The text approved on 15 April updates the already existing Agreement signed between the two States on 31 October 1986, in order to adapt the legislation to the recommendations of the OECD/G20 BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) project.

The updated Agreement applies to residents of the contracting States, and for Italy in particular relates to IRPEF, IRES and IRAP taxes, by setting general and subsidiary criteria through which defining a person as “resident of a Contracting State”, and by clarifying the cases in which a “permanent establishment” is involved.

The approved text regulates specific topics related to the double taxation issue, among which there are: taxability of real estate income, which must be taxed in the State in which the real estate that represents the income source is located (albeit in a non-exclusive manner); the treatment of business profits, as well as profits deriving from the operation, in international traffic, of ships or aircrafts; taxation rules for capital income regarding dividends, interest, royalties and capital gains; distribution of taxation in the two contracting States in relation to: independent professions, subordinate work, members of management and supervisory boards, remuneration from artistic and sporting activities, as well as sums received as pensions or for other public functions performed; the criterion of exclusive taxation in the State of residence for any other residual type of non-mentioned income; the methods for eliminating double taxation, in accordance with the domestic legislation of each contracting State; anti-abuse provisions, the principle of non-discrimination, the mechanism of the amicable procedure for the resolution of disputes, and the exchange of information between the two States.

This initiative signals the intention of both governments to improve the condition of Italian companies operating in China and to give more certainty to Chinese investors interested in or already engaged with the Italian business environment.