1 / 24

Presentation to: The FIA Asia Derivatives Conference Beijing, China 10 August 2005 By: Donald L. Horwitz Director/Gener

Presentation to: The FIA Asia Derivatives Conference Beijing, China 10 August 2005 By: Donald L. Horwitz Director/General Counsel Global Futures ABN AMRO Incorporated. Doing Business in the New China: The Legal and Regulatory Perspective. Doing Business in the New China. Why? What?

donnelly
Download Presentation

Presentation to: The FIA Asia Derivatives Conference Beijing, China 10 August 2005 By: Donald L. Horwitz Director/Gener

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Presentation to: The FIA Asia Derivatives Conference Beijing, China 10 August 2005 By: Donald L. Horwitz Director/General Counsel Global Futures ABN AMRO Incorporated Doing Business in the New China: The Legal and Regulatory Perspective

  2. Doing Business in the New China • Why? • What? • Who? • How?

  3. Confucius: Smart Investor The man has three different ways to act wise: • The first is to think, which is the noblest • The second is to imitate, which is the easiest • The third is by experience, which is the bitterest

  4. Doing Business in the New China • Why do Business in China? • What is your Mission, Vision, and Value-Proposition? • Have you identified your: • Long-term Strategy • Shorter-term Goals • Risk/Reward Scenarios • Cost-Benefit Opportunities

  5. Doing Business in the New China • Four False Assumptions • China is source of fast and easy profits • Chinese people are both hardworking and inexpensive workers • China has opened to “pure capitalism” and beginning to become Westernized or Americanized • Chinese and the West share the same economic views

  6. Doing Business in the New China • Four False Assumptions • China is a Socialist Market Economy • Government sets both social and political quotas and targets • State mandated regulations • Investors Deal Primarily with: • SOE • State Agencies • State Institutions

  7. Doing Business in the New China • Four False Assumptions • 5000 year-old civilization • US is 230 years • Chinese measure time differently • Nothing is instantaneous • Very focused • Relationships must be mutually beneficial • Chinese Culture is Paramount

  8. Doing Business in the New China • What? • What type of business or service? • Products • Services • Technologies • Funding, Assets

  9. Doing Business in the New China Foreign Investment Opportunities • Traditionally has been strongest in supplying equipment for Chinese infrastructure • As economy has developed, wider opportunities in China’s emerging consumer market • Foreign investments in banking and financial services have been key to China’s growth over the last twenty years.

  10. Doing Business in the New China • Who? • Consider who are your • Customers • Competitors • Regulators

  11. Doing Business in the New China • Government: Socialist Market Economy • Highly centralized political system • Increasingly decentralized economic system • State control over key industries • Services industries, home and cottage businesses and small retailers given relative freedom

  12. Doing Business in the New China • China Securities Regulatory Commission • Established in 1992 by the State Council • Sole Regulator for Securities and Futures Markets • Combination of the US SEC and CFTC

  13. Doing Business in the New China • China Securities Regulatory Commission • Regulates and Licenses • Securities and Futures Markets • Futures Clearing Organizations • Intermediaries • Investment/Trading Advisers • Supervises: • Securities and Futures Exchanges • Futures Association of China • Securities Association of China

  14. Doing Business in the New China • Legal Framework • Three laws: • Company Law • Securities Law • Securities Investment Fund Law • Supplemented by 300+ • Rules, Regulations, Guidelines and Codes

  15. Doing Business in the New China • Legal Framework • Regulations on Securities and Futures Trading: • General • Prohibited Behavior • The Measures on the Administration of Futures Exchanges • Amended by the CSRC effective 1 July 2002

  16. Doing Business in the New China • How? • How are you going to get the venture started? • Partners • Investment form • Supply/distribution Networks

  17. Doing Business in the New China • Four Forms of Investment • Representative Office (RO) • Contractual Joint Venture • Equity Joint Ventura • Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise

  18. Doing Business in the New China • Regulatory Landscape • Presently, foreign parties not permitted to on China’s domestic futures exchanges. • In August 2004, PRC Ministry of Commerce issued Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between Mainland China and Hong Kong (CEPA)

  19. Doing Business in the New China • CEPA Approval Process • CEPA opens futures brokerage business to qualified Hong Kong Service Suppliers (HKSS) • CEPA is the only recognized route for foreign investors to qualify • Approved HKSS may own up to 49% in a PRC joint venture futures brokerage firm • Requirements • registered with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong • satisfies the requirements of the CSRC • No implementing rules so far from the PRC.

  20. Doing Business in the New China • Legal Contacts • Legal contracts based on trust and confidence • Contracts are not absolute or unalterable: • Helping steps to create long-term relationships • Details and relationships are important in the negotiations

  21. Doing Business in the New China • Legal Contracts • Prepare in both Chinese and English • Chinese version prevails in a later dispute • Use existing contracts as examples • Know the authority level of the counterparty • Choice of Law • PRC • Hong Kong

  22. Doing Business in the New China • Contract Preparation • Use simple, clear phrases • Regulations spelled out • Assumptions stated • Define obligations as • Mutual • Reciprocal • Avoid Long Lists

  23. Doing Business in the New China • Negotiating • Flexibility • Government changes • Laws and regulations change • Officials change • Be prepared to change

  24. Doing Business in the New China • Conclusion • Lessons Learned • Patience • Nothing happens overnight • It takes time to find the proper partner • Patience is key in doing business in the New China • Leave arrogance home • Q/A

More Related