Where to live and do business

How people choose a city

Shanghai means finance, trade and the infrastructure a newcomer finds most familiar. Dearer than the rest, but it also raises fewer questions of “how does this work”.

Guangzhou and Shenzhen mean manufacturing, electronics and trade shows. The logical choice if your travel revolves around factories and fairs.

Yiwu means the wholesale markets. It is a small city, people come for a specific sourcing trip and usually stay in one of a few hotel areas next to the market.

The district for the job

Look not at the prestige of the district but at the journey to the places you will go every day. An hour each way in a Chinese metropolis is unremarkable.

For meetings with partners it is easier to live near the business cluster: talks are often set for the morning and moved at the last minute.

If your family is with you, measure the journey to the school and the clinic, not to the office.

Renting

The contract runs for a year and the deposit is usually one to three months. Payment is more often quarterly than monthly.

After moving in you must register the address at the local police station. Without it you will later be unable to extend a visa or obtain certain documents.

A company

Registration takes weeks rather than days and requires a verified legal address — a rented flat usually cannot serve as one.

A bank account is opened after registration and on a separate visit, often with the director present in person.

Decide in advance whether you need a company at all: some sourcing and logistics work is covered by a contract with an existing agent.