什么是在中国的外商独资企业？

The term WFOE/ WOEF in china stands for Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise. A WFOE is essentially a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in China, where 100 per cent ownership of the company rests with the foreign subsidiary. Maximum investors across the world select the model of WFOE because it gives them complete freedom to run the business operations without any interference from any local player and, at the same time, able to keep tight control over their respective Intellectual Property.

WFOE/WOEF在中国代表外商独资企业。外商独资企业本质上是一家在中国的有限责任公司（LLC），该公司的100%所有权属于外国子公司。世界各地的最大投资者选择外商独资企业的模式，因为它使他们完全自由地经营业务，不受任何本地参与者的干扰，同时能够严格控制各自的知识产权。

Additionally, a WFOE enjoys the same rights and status as a locally registered company in China except in the areas/sectors mentioned in the Foreign Investment Industries Guidance Catalogue where registration of WFOE is restricted or prohibited in the country.

此外，外商独资企业享有与中国当地注册公司相同的权利和地位，但《外商投资产业指导目录》中提到的外商独资企业注册在中国受到限制或禁止的领域/部门除外。

The concept of WFOE was envisioned to attract foreign investment in China, especially in technology and manufacturing. WFOEs have also turned out to be a significant source of foreign investment in China, so much that China has surpassed the USA to become the country attracting maximum foreign investment.

WFOE的概念旨在吸引外国在中国的投资，尤其是在技术和制造业方面。外商独资企业也成为中国外国投资的重要来源，以至于中国已经超过美国成为吸引外资最多的国家。

The first step in registering a WFOE in China is defining the scope of the business activities. A WFOE can carry out only those business activities that fall within the scope of the “Specified Business Activities” mentioned in the registration application. The filing for a WFOE registration takes place with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC). The Chinese government has introduced some amendments to the capital requirements of WFOE.

在中国注册外商独资企业的第一步是确定业务活动的范围。外商独资企业只能开展注册申请中提到的“特定商业活动”范围内的商业活动。外商独资企业的登记备案应在商务部（MOFCOM）和工商行政管理局（AIC）进行。中国政府对外商独资企业的资本要求进行了一些修改。

WFOE capital requirements in China

外商独资企业在中国的资本要求

In their effort to attract more foreign capital investment in China, the Chinese government has introduced changes in their company law. The amendments came in 2014 and removed the minimum capital requirements for a WFOE to open a business in China. Before the amendment, the minimum capital requirements ranged from RMB 500,000 to RMB 1 million.

为了吸引更多外国资本在中国投资，中国政府对公司法进行了修改。修正案于2014年出台，取消了外商独资企业在中国开展业务的最低资本要求。修订前，最低资本要求为50万元至100万元。

After the amendment, no minimum capital requirements are prescribed for any WFOE to register their business entity in China. However, the capital requirement should be sufficient to start the business smoothly. Therefore, industry-specific capital requirements persist whilst registering WFOE in China.

修订后，没有规定任何外商独资企业在中国注册其商业实体的最低资本要求。然而，资本要求应足以顺利启动业务。因此，在中国注册外商独资企业时，行业特定资本要求仍然存在。

What is meant by Registered Capital?

什么是注册资本？

The registered capital refers to the amount of cash, assets in the form of Intellectual Property, etc., invested in running the business. The registered capital can be in the form of cash, intellectual property, land, building, equipment etc. or any other asset. Before starting operations, 20% of the total registered capital must be submitted, which makes up for the minimum amount of capital a WFOE needs to sustainably run its operations in China. Therefore, this amount should be accordingly decided before generating any income.

注册资本是指为经营企业投入的现金、知识产权形式的资产等金额。注册资本可以是现金、知识产权、土地、建筑物、设备等或任何其他资产。在开始运营之前，必须提交注册资本总额的20%，这弥补了外商独资企业在中国持续运营所需的最低资本额。因此，在产生任何收入之前，应相应地确定这一数额。

As per the new amendment requirements, the registered capital can be infused at any time during the first 29 years of the business of WFOE. It must be noted that before a WFOE closes its operations, it must ensure that all the capital is fully paid up.

根据新的修订要求，注册资本可以在外商独资企业经营的头29年内的任何时间注入。必须注意的是，在外商独资企业关闭其业务之前，必须确保所有资本全部付清。

Ideal WFOE Capital requirements in China

中国理想的外商独资企业资本要求

As mentioned above, there are no prescribed minimum level requirements for setting up a WFOE in China. However, MOFCOM and AIC do review the proposed capital amount of a WFOE. The practice prevalent in the industry is choosing the appropriate level of capital investment and mentioning it in a business plan which is submitted to the relevant authority.

如上所述，在中国设立外商独资企业没有规定的最低要求。然而，商务部和工商局确实审查了外商独资企业的拟议资本额。该行业普遍的做法是选择适当的资本投资水平，并在提交给有关当局的商业计划中提及。

The business plan should comprise the future projections, operational structure and the amount of capital required to run the business operations in China. These financial forecasts and the expected expense will be taken into consideration by the AIC to make the decision on the amount of WFOE capital requirements for your business.

业务计划应包括未来预测、运营结构和在中国运营业务所需的资本金额。AIC将考虑这些财务预测和预期费用，以决定贵公司的外商独资企业资本要求金额。

Procedure to change WFOE capital requirements in China

在中国变更外商独资企业资本要求的程序

The following procedure must be followed to change WFOE capital requirements in China:

改变外商独资企业在中国的资本要求必须遵循以下程序：

An application is filed, along with the appropriate reason, with the MOFCOM to increase the share capital.

向商务部提出增加股本的申请，并附上适当理由。

Once the approval has been obtained from the MOFCOM, another application is filed with the local AIC.

一旦获得商务部的批准，将向当地工商行政管理局提交另一份申请。

Approval is sought from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) to transfer the capital from an overseas account.

从海外账户转移资金需获得国家外汇管理局（SAFE）的批准。

An application is filed with the AIC to reissue the WFOE business license.

向工商局提交申请，重新颁发外商独资企业营业执照。

Conclusion

结论

It can be concluded from the above-mentioned discourse that injecting a sufficient amount of capital is crucial to successfully registering and subsequently running the business in China. Post-2014 amendments, the Chinese government eliminated the requirement to infuse all the capital at the beginning of the company’s registration in china. However, the promoters should infuse sufficient capital for the successful registration and setting up of a WFOE in China. For gaining more insights into WFOE capital requirements in China, please follow us.

从上述论述中可以得出结论，注入足够的资本对于在中国成功注册并随后运营企业至关重要。2014年后的修正案中，中国政府取消了在公司在中国注册之初注入全部资本的要求。然而，发起人应为在中国成功注册和设立外商独资企业注入足够的资本。欲了解更多关于外商独资企业在中国资本要求的信息，请关注我们。