1 Project Application Report is necessary document of establishing a foreign Investment Enterprise (FIE) in China

To secure approval for a FIE, the foreign investor will have to prepare numerous simplified-Chinese-language documents for submission to the relevant government authorities; typically such documents will include the following:

1) Application letter
2) Investor’s constitutional documents, such as Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Association and Business Registration Certificate;
3) Board Minutes of the investor in relation to the establishment;
4) Financial Statements of the investor for the preceding financial year;
5) Bank reference letter in favour of the investor;
6) Project Application Report in relation to the establishment;
7) Articles of Association of the FIE;
8) Joint Venture Contract (in the case of joint ventures only); and
9) Evidence of right to use the business premises.

2 Introduction to  Project Application Report

Project Application Report  is different with feasibility report, after the project approve system reform in 2005, Chinese government  changed the approve system of privately invested projects, privately invested projects don't need to submit feasibility report to Chinese government, for the investors contributed the capital and they will think the investment return carefully. Chinese government only check the external effects (Externalities ) including the environment protect measures, energy saving measures, etc. So the project application report mainly study the  external effects  of the projects.

Project Application Report must be prepared by consulting companies with qualification issued by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) . The qualifications were divided into A,the highest , and  B,C(the lowest).  Project Application Report  prepared by consulting firms with A qualification can be used in projects that need be approved by state NDRC , Project Application Report  prepared by consulting firms with B qualification can be used in provincial NDRC.

Relation of Grade of Consulting firm and its right in preparing Project Application Report

For there are a lot of sectors and need professional knowledge in different industries. The qualification also divided into about 30 industries.  So customers should select consulting firms with qualification of industries of the project. For example, if a investor wants to invest a automobile project in China, according to the policy in China, the project need to be approved by State  NDRC, so the investor should find a consulting firm with A qualification in Machinery industry (automobile project  was included into machinery industry in China)

3 Table of  contents of  Project Application Report

National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued the Notice on Releasing the Standard Text for the Application Report of a Project (Fagai touzi [2007] No. 1169) (Notice). All the application reports of a project submitted to NDRC after September 1, 2007, must meet the requirements of the Notice.

1) A brief account of the applicant and the project to be launched.
2) An analysis of the development plans,industry policies, and market access.
3) An analysis of resources development and multipurpose utilization.
4) An energy conservation plan.
5) An analysis of land to be used for construction, the demolition to take place there and the resettlement of people affected.
6) An environmental and ecological impact statement.
7) An economic impact statement.
8) Analysis of possible social effects.

Notice

The standard text specifies the general requirements for an application report. The Introduction to the Standard Text for the Application Report of a Project also provides a detailed explanation; so it should be consulted in the compilation and approval of an application report.

An enterprise can make some adjustments in light of its actual conditions. Given some of the items are not involved in every project, no analysis of these items are necessary after an explanation of the real situation.

The standard text is applicable to investment projects within the Chinese border, including foreign-invested projects.

The requirements for an application report for foreign-invested projects in the appendix are as follows:

1) The application report for a foreign-invested project shall not only follow the Tentative Administrative Measures on Approving Foreign-invested Projects and meet the general requirements set in the standard texts, but shall also include the operating period, the target market, the number of employees, the price of public goods and services, forms of investment, the lists of equipment to be imported and the possible prices so that approval organs can check market access, capital-account management and more.

2) For a merger and acquisition of a domestic company by a foreign one, if it does not expand production and investment scale, does not require more land, resources or energy, does not have an ecological and environmental impact, its application report can be simplified. But the report needs to focus on the following points:

A. An account of the domestic company (including the current conditions of the company, its financial situation, assets evaluation and confirmation, the purpose of the merger and acquisition and the shares of foreign stock.)

B. An account of the foreign company (including the financial situation, its investment on the Chinese mainland and company performance over the past three years and the market share of the products or services of counterparts with de facto control.

C. Merger and acquisition arrangements (including how to handle the aftermath with regard to the employees, and how to settle the debt issues).

D. The operation mode, scope of business, and ownership structure after merger and acquisition.

E. Financing plans.

F. How the money paid for the original company is going to be spent.

G. Other items required by laws and regulations.

3) For an application report of a project that takes out loans from international financial institutions or foreign governments, it shall not only comply with the Tentative Administrative Measures on Projects Invested by International Financial Institutions or Foreign Governments and the general requirements set in the standard texts, but also include the category or the foreign country, the scale, the purpose, repayment plans, and the application of the loan so that approval organs can check the external debt management and more.

The content of the bidding invitation shall be included in the application report for projects required to have the content of the bidding invitation checked by the NDRC.


4 Beijing HL Consulting Co., Ltd can prepare Project Application Report for Foreign Investment Enterprise (FIE) in China

Beijing HL Consulting Co., Ltd got the Grade A certificate from NDRC, which meet the highest qualification requirement of certificate, we can prepare Project Application Report in the following industries
1) Natural gas and petroleum
2) Chemical and medicine
3) Machinery
4) Light industry
5) Textile
6) Agriculture
7) Construction materials
8) Electronic
9) Construction and realestate
10) Agriculture
11) Forestry
12) Municipal utilities (water supply and drainage)
13) Hydrogeological
14) Engineering Survey
15) Geotechnical Engineering
Etc.
We can also help prepare the approve of projects

5. Time and cost of project Application Report for Foreign Investment Enterprise(Chinese version)

Notice:Exchage 1 usd=6.83 RMB

If you need the English version, add 2-3 thousand USD for each project

6. Introduction to procedure of establishing a FIE in China

6.1 Step 1 1. Name Reservation
A foreign investor should first seek approval for the FIE’s intended Chinese corporate name from the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”) or a duly authorized lower-level Administration for Industry and Commerce (“AIC”). Under current PRC law, the corporate name of a FIE has four mandatory components: (1) the  locality, (2) the trade name, (3) the industry and (4) the form of the company, such as, “Co., Ltd.” at the end of the
name. The AIC approves the proposed FIE name with the exception of FIEs with the following names that require SAIC approval:-
i) Names prefixed with such words as “Zhongguo <<中国>>” or “Zhonghua <<中华>>” (both
mean “China”) or “Guojia <<国家>>” (State) or “Guoji <<国际>>” (International); and
ii) those names without a locality component.

Registration of a proposed FIE’s trade name offers the foreign investor a degree of legal protection to exclusively use the name.2
Upon approval from the AIC, the FIE will be issued with an <<企业名称核准通知书>>, which reserves theFIE’s name for six months, during which time the foreign investor must apply for its Business licence so that the name does not become void.

6.2. Project Verification and Approval

Save and except certain local variations, the foreign investor shall then seek project verification and approval from the National Development and Reform Commission
(“NDRC”)3 or from the local-level Development and Reform Commission (“DRC”).4
NDRC verification and approval is required for FIEs that fall within the “encouraged” and “permitted” categories with a total investment of more than US$100 million, or for FIEs that fall within the “restricted” categories with a total investment of more than US$50 million.5 Initial applications should be made to the provincial-level DRC, which will conduct a preliminary examination and then forward to the national-level NDRC for approval.

Provincial-level DRC verification and approval is required for FIEs that fall within the “encouraged” or “permitted” categories with a total investment of between US$30 million and US$100 million, or for FIEs that fall within the “restricted” categories with a total investment of below US$50 million.
Local-level DRC verification and approval is required for all other FIEs whose amount of total investment does not exceed the above thresholds.
NDRC/DRC approval is in the form of a Project Approval Letter <<项目核准函>>. In order to obtain a Project Approval Letter the FIE should take the following steps, the exact sequence of which may vary depending on the location. Additional steps may be required for certain
industries:

6.2.1 Submit a Project Application <<项目申请 报告>> to the NDRC for verification and
approval If necessary, the NDRC will distribute a copy of the Project Application to the department-in-charge of the relevant industry for their opinion.

6.2.2 Obtain a Land Use Opinion <<用地预审意见>>
The Ministry of Land and Resources (“MLR”) or its local counterpart is responsible for ensuring that the proposed site complies with general policies and regulations on land-use in China.

To obtain a Land Use Opinion, the foreign investor must submit the following documents to the MLR or its local counterpart: (1) an application form, (2) a report containing information such as details of the project and site; and the amount and type of land used.

6.2.3 Seek Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) Examination and Approval <<环境
影响评价审批>>

Examination and Approval of the EIA will be conducted by the State Environmental Protection Bureau (“SEPB”) or its local counterpart, which will be responsible for the FIE’s compliance with the relevant laws and regulations concerning environmental protection.
The foreign investor must submit an EIA “document” to the SEPB or its local counterpart. Such EIA document must be prepared and issued by an EIA agency certified by SEPB. The form of such EIA “document” will depend on the level of the potential environmental impact as follows

6.2.3.1 where the potential environmental impact is considerable the foreign investor must prepare a full report, which the SEPB may approve within 60 days;

6.2.3.2 where the potential environmental impact is “light” the foreign investor must prepare an “EIA report “, which the SEPB may approve within 30 days; and

6.2.3.3 where the potential EIA impact is “very light” the foreign investor must file an EIA form, which the SEPB may approve within 15 days.

The SEPB shall notify the foreign investor of its approval in writing

6.2.4 Obtain a <<建设项目选址意见书>><<规划意见书>>
To apply, the foreign investor must submit a Project Application together with the EIA examination and approval letter issued by the SEPB to the Administration of Planning <<规划行政主管 部门>>.

6.3. Document Approval
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (“MOFTEC”) became the Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) in 2003. MOFCOM is in charge of foreign and domestic trade, and also incorporates administrative functions. MOFCOM has delegated the approval of the
Articles of Association and Joint Venture Contracts to Bureaus of Commerce (“BOFCOM”) at various levels. MOFCOM approval is evidenced in the form of an Approval letter <<批复>> and a Certificate of Approval <<外商投资企业批准证书>>.

6.3.1 The Joint Venture Contract (if applicable) - the Joint Venture Contract is signed by all parties to the Joint Venture and is the basic agreement between the parties for the future operation of the Joint Venture. Under current PRC law, Joint Venture Contracts must
include (1) the proposed scope of business, (2) the registered capital and (3) the profit distribution and the constitution of the board of directors, etc.

The Joint Venture Contract will reflect the results of often lengthy negotiations between all the Joint Venture parties on issues such as percentage of ownership, board representation, corporate governance, degree of control and the parties respective
rights and obligations. The foreign investor should take added care when negotiating the constitution of the board of directors since it will be the highest organ of authority of a Joint Venture.


6.3.2 The Articles of Association- the Articles of Association’s main role is to set out the procedures for board meetings and the powers and functions ofthe officers of the FIE.


In order for a FIE to legally exist in China, it must be registered with the SAIC at the national level or a duly authorized local AIC within 30 days after obtaining the Certificate of Approval


6.4. Establishment Registration
In order for a FIE to legally exist in China, it must be registered with the SAIC at the national level or a duly authorized local AIC within 30 days after obtaining the Certificate of Approval. To register, the FIE must further submit the prescribed application documents and many of
the approval documents mentioned above together with the FIE’s Approval Letter and Certificate of Approval.
Within two weeks after the filing of these documents, the AIC may issue the foreign investor with a Business Licence <<企业法人营业执照>>. The date on which the Business Licence is issued is the date the legal person is established and (subject to obtaining any industry-specific permits or qualification certificates) can legally “commence business” such as entering into contracts with third parties.




6.4.1 Recent Change to Registration Procedure
On 24 April 2006, the SAIC promulgated the <<关于外商投资的公司审批登记管理法律适
用若干问题的执行意见>> (“Registration Opinion”). Pursuant to the Registration Opinion, all
approval documents and the foreign investor’s identity documentation must now be notarised by a notarial agent in the foreign investor’s own country and authenticated by the Chinese embassy or consulate stationed in such country prior to submission to the SAIC for registration. Furthermore,the Registration Opinion now requires the foreign
investor and a donee to co-sign a power of attorneycalled the <<法律文件送达授权委托书>> which authorises the donee to accept service of legal documents in China.
6.4.2 Further Industry-Specific Approvals
It is important to note that it may also be necessary for FIEs to secure further approvals for specific industries from the relevant Chinese government authority that is responsible for such industry. For example, an application for approval to establish a foreign-invested insurance company would require approval from the China Insurance Regulatory
Commission.

6.5. Post-Registration Formalities

According to current PRC law, all FIEs must complete various post-registration formalities, which include (1) submitting an application to the Public Security Bureau for a corporate chop, (2) registering with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, (3) registering with
the State and local Tax Bureau, (4) registering with the Customs Bureau, and (5) registering with various other government authorities.

6.6. Confirmation of “encouraged” status
A qualifying FIE will receive the confirmation letter that the FIE is in the “encouraged status” after the establishment of the FIE. “Encouraged status” for the FIE should have been confirmed prior to obtaining the Business Licence, although the official confirmation letter will only be issued after the formation of the FIE. Under two separate notices recently issued by the NDRC and MOFCOM, for FIEs  whose total investment is US$30 million or above, the power to confirm “encouraged status” projects shall vest in the NDRC (application shall first be made to the local-level DRC which may forward the application to the NDRC) and the MOFCOM. For FIEs whose total investment is below US$30 million, the local-level DRC or BOFCOM (as the case may be) has the power to confirm their “encouraged” status.
“Encouraged status” may entitle FIEs to benefits such as importing equipment on a tax-exempt basis, or a VAT refund on PRC-sourced equipment (other than nonqualifying
equipment).

6.7. Business Scope
Once established, the FIE will be a Chinese legal person. Every Chinese legal person may only engage in those business activities specified in its permitted “scope of business” and will be stated on the Business Licence of the Chinese legal person. Any FIE that engages in activities beyond its scope of business may be liable to a fine and in serious cases the cancellation of its Business Licence.


The scope of business in a PRC legal person is usually expressed in a short statement prepared in accordance with the <<国民经济行业分类>> set by the National Bureau of Statistics in China. In practice, both the Chinese approval authorityand foreign investor will amend the FIE’s business scope to allow the FIE to conduct to the fullest extent its planned
business activities, and if possible obtain any benefits under the Chinese law.It should be noted that as of the first day of January 2008,the will become effective. Under such law, enterprise income tax will be 25% regardless of whether the China legal person is a domestic company or a FIE and many of the preferential tax treatments currently enjoyed by FIEs will be abolished, including the “two plus three” tax holiday applicable to FIE manufacturers (under the present tax regime, manufacturing FIEs are entitled to an enterprise income tax exemption for a period of two years after they commence to make profits and a further enterprise income tax reduction of 50% for a period of three years
thereafter).


6. 8. Annual Inspection
Under PRC law,12 all FIEs established in the PRC must attend to, and pass an annual inspection every year. The FIE must submit to its original registration authority (1) an
annual examination report, (2) an annual balance sheet and (3) a profit and loss statement and (4) a duplicate copy of its Business Licence.
The purpose of the annual inspection is to allow the AICto inspect the above documents and ascertain whether the FIE has complied with the relevant PRC laws and regulations during the period under review.
A FIE may fail its annual inspection if (i) it “seriously” (not defined) violates the law, (ii) it does not during the period under review have an operating address, (iii) its investor fails to contribute its registered capital or (iv) it fails to conduct business for a continuous period of one year (or within six months of issuance of its Business Licence). In the event that a FIE fails to pass its annual inspection, the AIC will notify the FIE and will allow the FIE a further time period (not defined) to rectify the cause of such failure. If at the end of such time period, the FIE still fails to rectify the cause of the failure, the AIC may impose additional (unspecified) penalties. In “serious cases” (again not defined) the AIC has the right to cancel the FIE’s Business Licence.

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Mr Shen wei Email:sw@HLconsulting.cn

Tel:0086-10-58613952

Fax::0086-10-67716520

MSN:Cnswei@hotmail.com

Shen wei is the president of HL consulting,he graduate from Tsinghua education with master degree  and bachelor degree in Engineering(civil engineering major), he also get bachelor degree in Economics. he is a certified public account in China also a certified consultant of NDRC in China. Shenwei has over 10 years experience in help international enterprises start business in China and has good relation with all level of government in China
Work language:English and Chinese