Set up and run your company in mainland China

01 · ChinaMNC

Why mainland China for companies from Côte d'Ivoire

China is one of the largest manufacturing and consumer markets in the world, and a presence there changes how a company from Côte d'Ivoire can buy, sell and control quality. Instead of working through intermediaries, an owned entity lets you contract directly with suppliers, hold your own import and export rights, invoice customers in China and employ local staff.

For Ivorian businesses, the practical openings tend to fall into a few groups:

• Sourcing and quality control. A local entity can inspect goods, manage supplier relationships and handle claims before shipment leaves China.
• Selling into China. Consumer goods, agricultural products, cocoa-derived products and services can be sold through a Chinese company once product registration, labelling and import requirements are met.
• Industrial and infrastructure links. Companies supplying equipment, spare parts or technical services to Chinese buyers often need a local contracting party.
• Regional coordination. A Chinese office can manage Asia-wide purchasing or logistics for a group headquartered in West Africa.

China is not a low-friction market. Rules vary by city, sector and product, and enforcement of tax, customs and foreign exchange rules is real. The value of a locally registered company comes from being inside that system properly rather than working around it.

02 · ChinaMNC

WFOE, joint venture or representative office

The entity you choose determines what you may legally do, who controls it and how money moves.

Wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE). The default choice for most Ivorian founders who want to trade, invoice, import, export, hire and keep full control. A WFOE is a Chinese limited liability company owned by your foreign company or by you personally. It needs registered capital, a registered address, a business scope and a legal representative. Capital contribution rules are set in the company's articles and must be respected in practice.

Joint venture (JV). A Chinese limited company with both foreign and Chinese shareholders. Useful where a local partner brings licences, land, distribution or sector access you cannot obtain alone. The trade-off is governance: shareholder agreements, board composition, dividend policy and exit mechanics need to be drafted carefully before registration, not afterwards.

Representative office (RO). A non-profit-making liaison office. It may conduct market research, liaison and coordination but cannot sign business contracts, invoice customers or earn revenue in its own name. It suits companies testing the market, not companies intending to trade.

Branch of a foreign company. Possible in some sectors, but approval and documentation requirements are heavier and the parent company bears the liabilities directly.

If your goal is to buy, sell or employ, a WFOE is usually the starting point. Confirm sector-specific restrictions before committing to any structure.

03 · ChinaMNC

The five-step registration process

The sequence below reflects how foreign-invested company setup normally runs in mainland China. Timelines depend on the city, the sector and how complete your documents are, so treat any schedule as an estimate rather than a promise.

• Step 1 — Decide the structure and the city. Choose WFOE, JV or RO; choose the city and district based on where your suppliers, customers and staff will be, not only on cost. Confirm whether your activity sits on any restricted list for foreign investment, and check whether a sector-specific licence will be needed.
• Step 2 — Reserve the company name and prepare the file. Submit proposed Chinese names for approval, then prepare the articles of association, shareholder and director details, registered capital plan, registered address documents and business scope wording.
• Step 3 — Foreign investment information reporting and business licence. File the required foreign investment information report, then submit the establishment application to the market regulation authority. Approval produces the business licence, which is the company's legal birth certificate.
• Step 4 — Seals, accounts and tax registration. Have the official company seals made, complete tax registration and taxpayer classification, and open the bank accounts, including the foreign currency capital account used for capital contributions.
• Step 5 — Capital, systems and people. Bring in registered capital through the proper channel, set up accounting and invoicing, register with social insurance where you hire, and arrange work permits and residence permits for foreign staff who will live in China.

Each step depends on the one before it. Missing documents at any stage stall the whole chain.

04 · ChinaMNC

Documents usually requested

Requirements differ by city and by entity type, and the registration authority may ask for additional items. The list below covers what is commonly needed for a foreign-owned company.

• From the Ivorian parent company or founder: certificate of incorporation or equivalent registration document, articles of association, and a register of directors or shareholders, each notarised and legalised or apostilled as required, with Chinese translations.
• Identity documents: passports for individual shareholders, legal representatives, directors and supervisors; proof of address where requested.
• Corporate decisions: board or shareholder resolutions authorising the investment and appointing the legal representative and directors.
• Registered address: lease agreement and the landlord's property ownership certificate, or documents from an approved address provider.
• Formation documents: proposed Chinese company names, articles of association for the new company, capital contribution plan and business scope wording.
• Bank and tax onboarding: beneficial ownership declarations, source-of-funds explanations and authorised signatory forms.

Translation quality matters. Names, capital amounts and business scope wording must match exactly across every document. Keep originals and scanned copies consistent, and expect the bank to review ownership chains up to the ultimate beneficial owner before opening accounts.

05 · ChinaMNC

Registered address, business scope and capital

Registered address. Every Chinese company must have one, and it must be a real address that can receive official mail and pass inspection. Options include leased office space, a serviced office, or an approved virtual or incubation address in some districts. Address rules are local: a district that accepts a given address type for one activity may refuse it for another. Landlord documents are checked, so avoid informal arrangements.

Business scope. This is the official list of activities your company may carry out, written in standard Chinese phrasing. It is not marketing copy. Put your core revenue activity first, include the related activities you genuinely expect, and remember that some items require a separate licence before you can operate. Adding items later is possible but takes time; overreaching invites questions you may not want.

Registered capital. State an amount you can realistically contribute within the period set in your articles. Capital is not a fee: it is money subscribed to the company and used for its operations. Very low capital can raise credibility questions with banks, landlords and customers; very high capital creates a funding obligation you must meet. Foreign currency capital should enter through the designated capital account so the contribution is properly recorded.

Align address, scope and capital with what you actually intend to do in the first two or three years.

06 · ChinaMNC

Banking, tax and visas in practice

Banking. Open the basic deposit account for day-to-day operations and the foreign currency capital account for shareholder contributions. Chinese banks apply enhanced due diligence: expect questions on your ownership structure, the source of funds, your expected transaction volumes and your counterparties. Prepare a clear explanation of your business and keep supporting contracts ready. Online banking access for foreign signatories can take extra setup, and some banks prefer a local finance contact.

Tax. After registration, complete tax onboarding and confirm your taxpayer status with your accountant. Corporate income tax, value added tax, stamp duty and withholding obligations on payments abroad all apply in the normal way. Invoicing runs through the official invoicing system, so your accounting processes need to be set up from day one. Transfer pricing rules matter if you trade with your Ivorian parent, and customs rules matter if you import or export. Use a licensed accounting firm; do not improvise.

Visas and permits. Foreign staff who will work in China need a work permit and a residence permit, generally starting from a Z visa applied for abroad. The legal representative does not have to live in China, but someone must be able to manage the company, the bank and the filings locally. Budget time for document legalisation and medical checks.

Treat banking, tax and immigration as one connected workstream, because in practice they are.

07 · ChinaMNC

Common mistakes to avoid

Most problems in Chinese company setup are avoidable with better preparation.

• Choosing a city for the wrong reason. Cheap addresses far from your suppliers or customers can raise operating costs and complicate inspections. Decide where the business actually runs.
• Vague business scope. Wording that does not match your real activity can block bank onboarding, invoicing or licence applications later.
• Unrealistic registered capital. Committing to more than you can fund creates a legal obligation. Committing to too little can undermine confidence.
• Weak document chain. Missing notarisation, legalisation, apostille or translation, or names that differ slightly between documents, cause repeated rejections.
• Ignoring the ownership chain. Banks and authorities look through to the ultimate beneficial owner. Layered holding structures need clear explanation and evidence.
• Assuming the RO can trade. A representative office cannot invoice or sign business contracts; revenue activity belongs in a WFOE or JV.
• Underestimating tax and customs compliance. Cross-border payments, related-party pricing and import declarations attract scrutiny. Set up proper accounting from the start.
• Leaving no one on the ground. A company with no local manager, no finance contact and no Chinese-speaking support tends to drift out of compliance.

Plan the first year of operations before you file, not after the licence arrives.