Australian companies seeking to do business in China should ensure that they obtain appropriate protection of their intellectual property through trade mark, copyright, design and/or patent registrations. Consideration also has been given to the most appropriate means of entering the Chinese market, including licensing, technology, transfer, distribution agreements, joint ventures, representative offices, or other corporate structures. It is also essential that Australian companies seek independent business and taxation advice prior to expanding operations into China. The Chinese government is implementing various taxation reforms, which include a tightening of the criteria that must be met before a foreign investor can establish a representative office in China. However, Chinese taxation also includes industry-based preferential tax policies, which may benefit Australian companies conducting business in one of the targeted industry areas [read more].