Welcome

Over the last 20 years China has developed from a low level agricultural nation into an industrial nation of 1.3 billion people. In recent years Western companies have China on their horizon as a strategic focus for growth and competitive sustainability? Consulting companies where quick to realize that China also provided them with a growing market for consult and trade support. Sadly they and many of their clients did not even reach their lowest targets and had to leave or limit their business with China.

China is not a businessmens heaven, it is though sometimes unfair and filled with cross cultural pit holes. Spent some days at a bar in Shanghai and the disillusioned western businessmen will prove the above mentioned.

United Far East Limited

United Far East is founded by the Dutch businessman Thijs Verdegaal.

As one of the sons of a famous Dutch bulb grower he wanted to broaden his horizon beyond the flower fields in Holland. He became a merchant navy officer and sailed the coasts of China in the early seventies and eighties. He learnt about China by visiting the different regions of China during that period even before any western businessman was allowed to enter the country.

By participating in a Dutch company in the early nineties, he is involved in imports from China into Europe of many technical and non-technical products. Mr Verdegaal visited China on a regular basis and established a foothold in Hong Kong to smoothen the export from China. Through this company he invested in several production facilities in China to make patented and other products.

Mr Verdegaal introduced several investors to production facilities in China with great success in the recent years. Besides his Chinese network also a western network started to develop and grow in China. United they share information and advise each other. This turned out to be so successful that Thijs Verdegaal started United Far East to facilitate his network in China.

Thijs Verdegaal works mainly with local people in Hong Kong and China. He and his staff are very down to earth and realistic about the many possibilities China may or may not have to offer. Their Dutch and the Chinese business mentality have as many similarities as differences. The successes Thijs and his staff made in the past decade are the result of a perfect mix between the two.

The difference between United Far East and an ordinary consulting bureau is huge. United Far East and their Chinese business contacts share the basic believe that you can only be a true consultant and partner after you proved to be trustworthy and successful in business.

Building a business relationship takes years. It helps when you are introduced by a trustworthy person or company. United Far East can do just that for companies who are searching for help to overcome the first hurdle and beyond in China. This implies that United Far East can deliver true and liable assistance for companies from specific fields and branches who want to acquire or produce specific products in China.

United Far East services and assistance

The consultants at United far East have ample experience with business in China. Their experience and knowledge about the country, language and culture can improve your possibilities and reduce your risks.

United Far East offers the following services to bring your business with China to a complete success:

Marketing

To be successful in production in China, it is important to firstly catagorise your products. For each category you have to specify the importance to your market. Through our network and knowledge about the local markets, we are able to source for your company in China.

Company matching

Western companies often see the trustworthiness of the Chinese companies as an impossible hurdle to work with in China. They do not have the knowledge and experience and contacts which United Far East can offer them. Our network and knowledge about the Chinese business mentality can help you to break these barriers.

Together with you we prepare a professional presentation of your company. Herewith we start looking for the right partner for you in China. After we find one or more suitable companies for you, we will present them to you directly. You will be invited to discuss any detail directly with them, we can assist you to finalize your business successfully and minimize your risk.

Legal advise

Entering the Chinese market you will undoubtedly be confronted with specific Chinese demands from the local and central authorities. This bureaucracy can be bridged.

We have a good knowledge about the Chinese laws and interpretations and can advise you how to structure your business according to these laws, like customs formalities, import- and export taxes or subsidies, production certificates, a-forms, company registration, tax laws and rules etc.

Logistic advise

Once you have decided to start production in china we can keep you informed about the progress of the production on a weekly basis and keep you up to date with the shipping dates etc.

It goes without saying that United Far East can provide you with any service you desire from china, even the smallest one.

Translation services

United Far East offers a wide range of translation services.

As we are working mainly with local employed people which are all bi-lingual we can offer you any service in translation throughout China, whereby they are trained to prevent you to fall into any trap the Chinese might have planned for you. We have learned it the hard way and can help you not to fall into the same pitt by miscommunication or difference in culture or mentality between you and your Chinese partner.

During meetings and discussions United Far East can give professional verbal translation. Translation of documents can be done without saying.

About this website

United Far East uses this website as a general newsletter to its clients.

From time to time we add useful information to our update section which we wrote ourselves or gathered from other websites. Most of the updates are based on our personal experience or information we received from our Chinese contacts.

Why we use this website instead of general newsletters by e-mail or post:

Nine out of ten of our clients had previous experiences / contacts with China before they approached United Far East. They are already aware of, or informed about most information displayed on this website.

We rather personally inform our clients: to be more to the point and serving the clients directs needs and initiatives to the best of our capabilities.

We do not want a mailbox crammed with unsolicited mail, and we guess our clients do not want one too.

Please note that some the updates are a must read e.g. if you are joining us to meet your Chinese business partner or visit a Chinese trade fair.

Please note that any reliance on any opinion, advice, statement, memorandum, or information contained in the content shall be at your sole risk.

Last United Far East updates:

All foreign Embassies & Consulates in China



please report if address is changed or incorrect

Searching for an embassy in a specific city? ( click here )
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Filed under: ( All updates and Useful basic info China and Foreign Embassy and Consulate in China and Useful Addresses )

United Far East update: August 25 2005

China Map - Provinces, regions & municipalities



The Chinese Central Government has divided China into different regions, which consists of :

Provinces
Autonomous Regions
Municipalities
Special Administrative Regions

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Filed under: ( All updates and Useful basic info China and Geography )

United Far East update: August 25 2005

China is primarily a domestic economy



Shanghai, shopping at night, Pu Dong
Shanghai, shopping at night, Pu Dong

China has 1.3 billion people and it grows at a rate of +/- 10 million a year. About 900 million people living in rural areas with a per capita income of less than US$100 per year. 400 million people are living in the more developed areas along the east coast and Yangtze River basin with a per capita income of about US$800 per year.

The Kingdom of the Middle has re-emerged in the last twenty years, and is on its way to an unprecedented future. China’s share of the world trade from 2002 5% rising to 7-8%. by 2007. However China’s domestic consumption still drives the economy, i.e. by 2020, China’s domestic market will consume 70-80% of its industrial production with only 20% for export though China’s share of world trade will rise. China is therefore primarily a domestic economy! Beijing has enough tools/resources to boost its economy and no scenario shows that the GDP growth will fall below 5% in the next years. (The World Bank)

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Filed under: ( All updates and Useful basic info China and Economy )

United Far East update: August 24 2005

Regard China as a continent



Everybody is talking about China as a country. We believe that it is more useful to regard it as a continent rather than a country.

The chinese name for China is “Zhongguo”, which literally means “the middle country” because Chinese people used to think that China is located in the middle of the world map.

China is slightly larger than the contiguous United States, 9.5 million square kilometers. Its eastern border, comprising more than 7,000 miles of coastline, abuts the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea. In addition, its land borders 14 other countries. The greater part of the country is mountainous. Its principal ranges are the Tien Shan, the Kunlun chain, and the Trans-Himalaya. In the southwest is Tibet, the Gobi Desert lies to the north. China proper consists of three great river systems: the Yellow River (Huang He), 2,109 mi (5,464 km) long; the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), the third-longest river in the world at 2,432 mi (6,300 km); and the Pearl River (Zhu Jiang), 848 mi (2,197 km) long.

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Filed under: ( All updates and Useful basic info China and Geography )

United Far East update: August 24 2005

Foreign Embassies & Consulates in Beijing



please report if address is changed or incorrect

(Direct Dialing: 010)(Int’l Direct Dialing: 86-10)
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Filed under: ( All updates and Foreign Embassy and Consulate in China )

United Far East update: August 23 2005

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