Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Company definition

What does Company mean? In legal practice, company describes an incorporated association formed to carry on business or another lawful purpose. Across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland this ordinarily means a body corporate formed and registered under the Companies Act 2006; in Ireland, under the Companies Act 2014. A company has separate legal personality (Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd), can own assets, enter contracts, sue and be sued, and typically provides limited liability for its members. Common forms are the private company limited by shares (Ltd), the public limited company (plc), the company limited by guarantee and the unlimited company....

China (PRC) Business Law Guide 2025: Market Entry, Company Formation, Finance, Tax, Employment, Contracts, IP, Data and Regulatory Compliance

Published by a LexisNexis Commercial expert

Practice notes

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Updated in October 2025

Introduction

China, formally the People’s Republic of China (PRC), became a sovereign nation in 1949 and is governed by a sole political party, the Communist Party of China (CPC). Covering roughly 9.6 million square kilometres, it is home to more than 1.4 billion people. The country comprises 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and four municipalities under direct central administration (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing). Beijing serves as the capital, and Mandarin is the official language. Ongoing economic and political reforms under the CPC have fostered political stability, economic freedom and legal certainty, positioning China as a top destination for foreign investment and as one of the world’s largest consumer markets. It is the world’s second-largest economy and actively pursues an open stance that promotes international collaboration. Consequently, businesses of all sizes and sectors are drawn to this dynamic, essential market to enter and expand their footprint. This guide sets out key considerations for new enterprises before entering the Chinese market...

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Haibin Xue

Hexagon AB

Mr Xue is the General Counsel for Greater China at Hexagon AB, a dual-listed global leader in design, measurement and visualization technologies. In this role, he oversees all legal and compliance matters across Hexagon’s operations in the Greater China region and focuses on high-tech cross-border transactions and technology transfer deals between the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific.Mr Xue is dual-qualified as an English solicitor and a Chinese lawyer, with extensive experience in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and dispute resolution. He has acted as lead counsel for numerous Chinese and European companies on international deals and disputes, gaining recognition for his solution-driven approach and deep understanding of the legal environments in China and the UK. Originally trained as an engineer, he holds a bachelor’s degree in science and two postgraduate law degrees from leading universities in China and the UK. He also serves as a...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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