Cultural & Business Guide

Looking for a Contact in China during a stay in China

Introduction

Communication between Chinese partners and European Companies is carried out by many Chinese governmental offices which also have their branches abroad. Besides these official branches, EU companies may get in touch with semi private or private offices which also facilitate bilateral exchanges between the two Countries.

Table of contents

MOFCOM

The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) corresponds to the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (recognized under the acronym MOFTEC) and it is responsible for formulating policy on foreign trade, export and import regulations, foreign direct investments, consumer protection, market competition and negotiating bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.

It has 42 offices all around Europe and it is present in almost every major city of every European country.

Following are the main functions of MOFCOM:

  • Design policies on foreign trade;
  • Clarification and explanation: for example of different kind of taxes and services;
  • Update on laws and regulations;
  • Providing a list of verified Chinese contractors overseas;
  • Performing statistic calculations;

There are also websites of regional ministries of foreign commerce (each Chinese province has its own webpage).

CCPIT

CCPIT is the acronym for China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Generally speaking, we can consider CCPIT as being the operational arm of MOFCOM which coordinates local institutions, meetings, events, and delegations coming from China.

Chinese council for the promotion of International trade, also known as China Chamber of international Commerce was established in 1952. It comprises VIPs, enterprises and organizations representing the economic and trade sectors in China. It is the largest and most important institution for the promotion of foreign trade in China.

It aims to operate and promote foreign trade, to use foreign investments, to introduce advanced technologies, and to conduct activities of Sino-foreign economic and technological cooperation in various forms. It also intends to promote the development of economic and trade relations between China and other countries and regions worldwide, and to promote mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese people connected with the economic trade circles of all nations around the world. Moreover, it tries to in line all international trade with the law and government policies of the PRC. It has offices around Europe in: Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, U.K., Belgium, and France.

Every Chinese province office overseas has its own webpage providing its activities and initiatives (such as fairs or trade missions). It is in charge of organization of Chinese exhibition abroad for commercial and promotional purposes. It can produce all certifications for export to China; it also provides business information through its rich database. On some of the local office websites (i.e. Germany), it has a page for exchanging needs and promotions of Chinese businesses to European businesses and vice versa.

Commercial Departments in Chinese Governmental Agencies (embassies/ consulates)

Last but not least, it must not be forgotten that each Chinese embassy and consulate in a European country has a department devoted to commercial information and exchange. Normally, these departments provide information about the economic and trade situation in China, and since the information provided can sometimes be too general, they are less effective that the CCPIT. Overall, these departments are good starting points for those interested in doing business with China.

External links

Project 2014-1-PL01-KA200-003591