Australia is, in many ways, an easy place for a Chinese business to enter. The market is open, foreign ownership is allowed in most industries, and the business culture genuinely welcomes newcomers who want to set up and grow. The businesses that struggle are rarely short of money or ambition. They struggle because they try to run an Australian business the Chinese way, and find that some things simply do not translate.
Shan Lai, who spent 15 years practising law in Beijing before returning to Australia, works with clients in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. She has watched investors arrive with everything they need to succeed and still come unstuck on the basics. Here is what is worth understanding before you commit.
Why Australians put everything in writing
The first thing that surprises many Chinese investors is how much paperwork an Australian deal involves. A contract that would be 2 pages in China can be 20 or 30 here, and a share sale agreement can run to 70. It can feel like distrust, or like being made to jump through hoops.
It is neither. In Australia, the document is how both sides get clarity. It sets out what each party must do, what happens if something goes wrong, and how the relationship runs. It protects the buyer or the investor as much as the other side, and Australian courts expect that clarity. Once you see the document as the thing that gives you certainty, rather than a hurdle, working with it becomes much easier. The investors who do well here accept this early and use it to their advantage.
The local setup you need to get right
Australia has its own company structures, and its own rules about how a company must be run. Directors carry real legal duties here, and at least one director of an Australian company must ordinarily live in Australia. If you do not have someone suitable, you can appoint a local nominee director, which is a service we offer. How you structure the business, as a subsidiary, a branch, or another form, affects your tax, your liability and your day-to-day operation.
This is worth proper local advice before you start, not after. Shan has seen investors who had the capital and the plan come unstuck because they did not understand the framework they were operating inside. One example she points to is property development: investors arrived ready to spend, only to find the planning approvals and the construction industry worked in ways they had not prepared for, and the money alone could not carry them through. Money is rarely the missing piece. Understanding the system is.
Employment is more involved than you expect
Australia has a detailed employment system, with obligations around pay, conditions and termination that are stricter than many newcomers anticipate. If you plan to take on staff, or buy a business with staff, these obligations come with it. Getting clear on them early avoids expensive surprises later.
Your brand, and protecting it here
If part of what makes your venture valuable is a brand, Australian or your own, protecting it properly in Australia matters. Trademark rights are country by country. Make sure the brand is registered here, in the right name, covering the right goods and services, so that the value you are investing in is value you actually control.
Planning for how money moves
This is the constraint Chinese investors know best, and it still catches deals out. China’s controls on moving money offshore are strict, and tightened again from the start of 2026. Getting funds out for an investment or an acquisition takes time and layers of approval, and the timing has to be built into the deal from the beginning, not assumed.
Australian counterparties often do not understand why this takes so long, and can read the delay as a problem. A good adviser on your side can explain your position to the other party, set a realistic timeline, and where possible structure the payment so the controls do not derail the deal. This is where having someone who understands both systems, and can speak to both sides, earns its place.
The investors who get it right
Shan’s clearest example of doing it well is an investor who came into Australia in the technology sector, did their due diligence, took proper preliminary advice on the licences and the legal framework, and did not cut corners to save a little at the start. They came in wanting to operate properly in the Australian way, rather than insisting on running things exactly as they would at home. That is the pattern that works. Australia’s business culture is open to people who want to build here. Meet it halfway, and it tends to meet you.
A practical first step
Before you commit capital, the three areas worth pressure-testing are the structure you will operate through, the obligations that come with it, and a realistic timeline for moving your funds. What the right answer looks like depends on your industry, your plans for staff, and how your funding is moving, so these are worth working through with someone who knows both systems rather than settling in the abstract. They are inexpensive to get clear early and expensive to get wrong.
Common questions about entering the Australian market
Can a Chinese business enter the Australian market?
Yes. Australia is an open market, foreign ownership is allowed in most industries, and the business culture welcomes newcomers who want to set up and grow. The businesses that struggle are rarely short of money or ambition. They struggle because they try to run an Australian business the Chinese way and find that some things do not translate. Taking the local way of doing things seriously from the start is what works.
Why are Australian contracts so long?
A contract that would be 2 pages in China can be 20 or 30 here, and a share sale agreement can run to 70. It can feel like distrust. It is neither. In Australia the document is how both sides get clarity: what each party must do, what happens if something goes wrong, how the relationship runs. It protects the investor as much as the other side, and Australian courts expect that clarity.
Does an Australian company need a director who lives in Australia?
At least one director of an Australian company must ordinarily live in Australia. If you do not have someone suitable, you can appoint a local nominee director, which is a service we offer. Directors also carry real legal duties here. How you structure the business, as a subsidiary, a branch, or another form, affects your tax, your liability and your day-to-day operation, so this is worth proper local advice before you start. Confirm the current resident-director rule with your adviser, as the detail can change.
What do Chinese investors most often get wrong in Australia?
They underestimate the framework they are operating inside. Shan Lai has seen investors with the capital and the plan come unstuck because they did not understand the system. One example is property development: investors arrived ready to spend, only to find the planning approvals and the construction industry worked in ways they had not prepared for. Money is rarely the missing piece. Understanding the system is.
How long does it take to move money out of China for an Australian investment?
Longer than most deals assume. China’s controls on moving money offshore are strict and tightened again from the start of 2026. Getting funds out for an investment or acquisition takes time and layers of approval, and the timing has to be built into the deal from the beginning. A good adviser can explain your position to the other side, set a realistic timeline, and where possible structure the payment so the controls do not derail the deal.
Do I need to protect my brand separately in Australia?
Yes, if part of what makes your venture valuable is a brand. Trademark rights are country by country, so a registration elsewhere does not carry over. Make sure the brand is registered here, in the right name, covering the right goods and services, so the value you are investing in is value you actually control. This is straightforward to get right early and costly to leave until later.
What to do next
If you are looking at entering the Australian market, it helps to have a legal team that understands both how business works here and where you are coming from. Shan Lai leads our work with Chinese investors and businesses, advises in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, and has sat on both sides of cross-border deals across more than two decades.
Download our free guide, Doing Business in Australia: Setting Up, Buying and Selling, for the full picture on what to plan for.
Or book a call with Shan and our team, and we will walk you through how to set up properly in Australia and what to plan for first.
Last reviewed: 20 August 2026.
