Podcast: e-Commerce in China from a Regulatory Perspective

September 13, 2016 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 3 minutes

China is currently experiencing huge growth in its e-commerce industry. In this podcast interview by AustCham, Sabrina Zhang, China National Tax Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates’ Beijing office, discusses the e-commerce industry in China. During the discussion, you will learn more about the current state of e-commerce in China, licenses required and the latest changes and upcoming trends.

Key takeaways

E-commerce, by definition, is the trading or facilitation of trading in products or services using computer networks. With the largest population of online shoppers in the world, China is becoming one of the most attractive markets for e-commerce operators. Even though e-commerce is not a concept defined in the Chinese law, various rules and regulations apply to foreign investors looking to sell products online. For example, foreign investors aiming to sell products via their own China-hosted website needs to first register a Foreign Invested Commercial Enterprise (FICE) and set up a physical store or a showroom. After that, they can proceed to register a website and complete the ICP filing procedure. FICEs seeking to provide services to other trading parties with their own online platform need to apply for an ICP license.

As a general trend, the Chinese government is willing to open up the e-commerce market and further open up China’s economy to the world. In the long term, one of China’s current economic development goals is to promote domestic consumption, and e-commerce will play a significant role in this growth.

About Us

Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com.

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