Attracting Foreign Investment

During the past 20 years, the Chinese government has made vast advancements in attracting foreign investments and developing a thriving economy. Among numerous other inducements, the country launched many beneficial policies for foreign investment and established various special business regions, including five Special Economic Zones.

The Five Special Economic Zones encourage foreign investment in the country, and have aimed – and succeeded – to create new jobs, to attract technological expertise, and to boost future tax revenues, in exchange for significant business benefits, including:

• No tax during start-up years before making a profit.
• The first year that the company turns a profit starts the ‘tax clock’ and is year one.
• For the first and second year after the tax clock starts, there is no tax.
• For years three and four, there is half of the normal tax rate.
• In the fifth year, the company pays the full normal tax rate.

The five Special Economic Zones are:

• Shenzhen: Home to some of China's most successful high-tech companies, such as Huawei and ZTE. Many foreign IT companies also have facilities in the city, including Apple Computers.
• Zhuhai: Among the top 500 enterprises worldwide, 19 of them have investment projects in Zhuhai such as EssoMobil, British Petroleum, Siemen, Carrefour and Matsushita.
• Xiamen: A coastal sub-provincial city in the southeastern Fujian province, and borders the cities of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou.
• Shantou: One of the original Special Economic Zones, established in the 1980s, Shantou failed to flourish like other cities such as Shenzhen, Xiamen and Zhuhai.
• Hainan: Located at the southern end of the country, Hainan consists of several islands, and has a reputation for being a ‘wild west’ area.

The Zones provide overseas investors a more advantageous environment in many respects in addition to tax breaks, including advanced infrastructures and qualified human resources.

Amazing Sights and Enthralling Leisure Activities

Finding things to do when you’re not working is absolutely no problem in Beijing – except that there are possibly too many things to choose from!

Among some of the city’s incredible sights:

• Forbidden City: At the centre of Beijing is the Forbidden City – Gu Gong in Chinese - which was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the world's largest palace complex, covering 74 hectares, enclosed by a six-meter-deep moat and a ten-meter-high wall, and boasting 9,999 rooms.
• Tiananmen Square: Tiananmen Square is the world’s biggest central city square, and is encircled by numerous and important structures, including the Chinese Revolution History Museum, the Mao Mausoleum, the Great Hall of the People, the Tiananmen Tower, and the Qianmen (Front Gate).
• Great Wall: One of the 'Eight Wonders of the World', China’s Great Wall extends across five provinces - from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west. The Wall winds across deserts, grasslands and mountains and is believed to be the only man-made structure that can be seen from the moon.

Beijing offers many, many other renowned attractions. Just to name a few: the Bell and Drum Towers, the Ancient Observatory, the Silk Market, Liulichang Street of Chinese Culture, and Beijing Happy Valley. The city also features a multitude of gorgeous parks and gardens, including Beihai Park, the Summer Palace, the Botanical Gardens, Fragrant Hills Park, the Grand View Garden, and the Ruins of Yuanmingyuan.

As for nightlife, the choices are as varied and enticing as are the daytime options.

For opera lovers, Beijing Opera is not to be missed. Acrobatic shows and teahouse performances are also considered ‘must-sees’. Among the most popular night-time venues are the Tianqiao Theatre and Tianqiaole Tea House. The theatre focuses on modern song and dance performances; the teahouse offers varied performances, including opera, martial arts and folk singing.

Scrumptious Cuisine

When it comes to gastronomical delights, Beijing is truly an international city. However, expats and locals alike underscore the irresistibility of Beijing’s native cuisine.

The most popular methods of cooking here are roasting, frying, stewing, braising, and steaming. One of the most popular – and probably the best well-known – of the city’s fare is the Beijing Roast Duck, which is prized for its thin, crispy skin and succulent meat.

After Roast Duck, the Mongolian Hot Pot is likely the next most renowned local dish, and is a favourite cold-weather meal. The Hot Pot features slices of various meats dipped into boiling water with an assortment of vegetables, and eaten with special sauces and side dishes.

For those looking for non-local dishes, many delicious choices in western and other non-Chinese cuisines are available. Fast food junkies can go to their favourite spots, which include McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Starbuck's Coffee, Subway Subs and Dunkin Donuts.

To recap: This fantastic city offers expats a great working environment, a superior quality of life, outstanding sights and extraordinary cuisine.

Beijing beckons!