Independent Legal Commentary · Shanghai
Chinese law, explained by a Chinese lawyer who's practised it for 20 years.
Practical, current, source-cited analysis on doing business in China — company setup, tax, money, people, and compliance.
Written and reviewed by Brad Shu, Partner, DHH Law Firm Shanghai · Last updated
About this site
China Law Counsel is an independent English-language legal publication for foreign investors doing business in China. It publishes clause-by-clause guides to the contracts, registrations and compliance obligations that foreign companies actually encounter — written in plain English, with the underlying Chinese regulations cited so that readers can check the position for themselves.
The site is written and reviewed by Brad Shu, a partner at DHH Law Firm's Shanghai office and a lawyer admitted to practise in the People's Republic of China. It covers company setup, tax, cross-border payments, employment, market entry, intellectual property, data compliance, dispute resolution, manufacturing agreements, supplier risk and market exit. Every article is human-written, lawyer-reviewed and dated.
Browse by topic
11 practice areasCompany Setup
WFOE, JV, and Rep Office registration from first principles.
Tax & VAT
Corporate income tax, VAT mechanics, and transfer pricing.
Moving Money
Cross-border remittance, dividend repatriation, SAFE rules.
People & Visas
Work permits, residence cards, hiring and employment law.
Market Entry
Regulatory approvals, licences, and sector-specific restrictions.
IP & Trademarks
Trademark squatting, IP protection, enforcement, and customs recordal.
Data & Privacy
PIPL compliance, cross-border data transfer, and data security rules.
Dispute Resolution
Case commentaries: enforcing rights against Chinese counterparties — CISG claims, quality disputes, judgments and awards.
Digital & AI
Legal groundwork for digital products: privacy policies, terms of service, subscriptions, AI disclosure, and app compliance — US and EU focus.
NNN Agreements & OEM Agreements
The complete guide to NNN agreements — non-disclosure, non-use, non-circumvention — for China manufacturing: enforceability, drafting, execution, disputes, and the OEM contract stack.
China Manufacturing Risk Assessment
How to verify a Chinese supplier's registered legal entity, run due diligence before sending money, assess manufacturing risk, and spot the difference between a trading company and an actual factory.
Latest analysis
All articles →China Supplier Due Diligence: What to Check Before Sending Money
A complete due diligence checklist for foreign buyers working with Chinese manufacturers: entity verification, financial health, litigation history, IP risk, quality system, and on-site audit — plus what each check costs and what happens when you skip it.
Why Your Supplier's Business Card Isn't Their Registered Name
Your Chinese supplier's business card says 'Quality Bags Co.' — but their registered legal name is 'Tianjin Junyi Premium Trading Co., Ltd.' The operating name and the registered name are frequently different entities. Here's why this dual-name structure exists, how to find the real name, and what it means for your NNN agreement.
Trading Company vs. Factory: Five Red Flags Your 'Manufacturer' Isn't Who They Say They Are
Many Chinese 'manufacturers' presented to foreign buyers are actually trading companies — middlemen with no factory, no production equipment, and no control over your moulds. This guide identifies five red flags that reveal a trading company posing as a factory, and explains why the distinction matters for your NNN agreement, your IP, and your ability to enforce.
Start here
All articles →- China NNN Agreements: The Complete Guide for Foreign Buyers — what non-disclosure, non-use and non-circumvention actually cover, and how Chinese courts treat them.
- China WFOE: Advantages and Disadvantages for Foreign Investors — what a wholly foreign-owned enterprise can and cannot do.
- Trademark Protection in China — first-to-file, squatting, and what to file before you launch.
- China Supplier Due Diligence — what to check before sending money to a manufacturer.
Primary sources cited across the site:the State Council,SAMR,NMPA, andthe Supreme People's Court.