Innovation is a word we are hearing a lot more of in China these days. The consensus is that as manufacturing costs in China continue to rise and supply chain complexity increases, so companies have to innovate both to save money and to increase efficiency.

In this story we take a deeper look into what a few companies and individuals in China, both foreign and Chinese are doing to lead the way in service, supplier management, IT implementation, as well as cost and process efficiency. These companies and individuals were all winners of awards at the November 2007 CHaINA Summit.

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Although modern times are catching up quickly within the cities of China, understanding the roots of this ancient and complex culture is essential when doing business there. In part II of ‘doing business in China’ Nannette Ripmeester takes a closer look at some of the cultural nuances your expats in China need to be aware of.

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The continued pervasiveness of counterfeiting in China is not only a problem of law, but also one of enforcement. While China’s laws and regulations conform to the agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) and other widely accepted international principles, certain parts of China’s protection mechanism have proven ineffective. Common examples are the high standards for criminal liability of counterfeiters, the high burden of evidence to prove bad faith registrations, and the difficulty to prove damages in civil proceedings…

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The process of importing, distributing and selling luxury goods in China raises further challenges for companies, including a number of difficult questions regarding tax treatment, customs duty, logistics and the transfer of intellectual property.

Customs duty, import VAT and consumption tax can all be charged on luxury goods imported into China. The ability of brands to mark up their goods at dramatic premiums can also prove difficult to explain to tax authorities when the time comes to file income tax returns.

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Having a meaningful footprint in China has become a strategic imperative for multinational companies from around the world. The attraction is China’s seemingly insatiable demand for products, services, capital and technology. George D. Martin, partner and chair of the Faegre & Benson China Practice, sees the current acquisition boom in China as the logical culmination of foreign investment trends that he first observed when practicing in Shanghai in the mid-1990s. Martin expects this M&A trend to continue. But in the years to come, he advises, it won’t be just foreign companies on the buy-side of cross-border M&A deals involving China.

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