Registering a company and setting up a business in China is a complex and multi-step process. Foreign Invested Enterprises (FIEs) can choose from a number of company structures to establish their presence in China, a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE) being one of the most common types used by multinationals and entrepreneurs.
We’ve talked about the overall
WFOE registration process in detail before. So today we’re going to discuss a crucial step of the registration process: choosing a company name.
Name Check
Your WFOE must have two names; a Chinese one and English one. It’s entirely possible that your desired name won’t be available or has been already taken. So before picking a final name and going ahead with the approval process, make sure you’ve at least checked its availability. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting a significant amount of time and money.
Look for appropriate company names and make sure that they’re still relevant to your business. Whatever you decide, it must meet specific requirements and have some kind of meaning.
Requirements
Keep the name succinct and know the limitations you’re working under. These include:
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Foreign characters, numerals, and alphabets are not allowed
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The name must be in compliance with China’s national policies and social ethics
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It mustn’t hurt religious and cultural sentiments
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It should not mislead the public or hurt your competition
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It cannot contain certain words such as China, National, State, Chinese. Special approval is required to use these words in the name
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Unless its representing the industry you’re based in, the word ‘International’ cannot be used in the name, i.e., international trading
Format
The Chinese name should be formatted as follows:
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First word—company, enterprise, or product name
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Second word—industry or business name, i.e, consultation, software, etc.
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Third word—company’s location or city name, i.e., Beijing, Hong Kong, etc.
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Fourth word—company’s structure, i.e., if it’s a WFOE, you’ll use Co., Ltd.
Pre-registration
Submit the pre-registration form for WFOEs; you can
obtain it from Business China. Then, you need to submit the pertinent documents, which include:
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The identification certificates of investors—both foreign and Chinese
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Project proposal and business application report
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Business approval and other documents, in accordance with the law and local regulations
For the Chinese name, the language barrier can make it difficult for you to pick the right words, which is why Business China offers expert translators to help you make the right decision.
We also provide other extensive services and help clients register and set-up a new company in China and Hong Kong. You can
drop your business proposal on our website or give us a call at +86-020-2917 9715 to discuss further.
