China
Location: East Asia
Currencies
Q. Can I buy Chinese currency?
A. Yes, with certain providers. There is a popular misconception that you cannot buy CNY, due to the fact that China strictly controls this currency. In fact, the People’s Bank of China established, in 2010, that CNY could be traded in Hong Kong. Outside of China, CNY can be delivered freely.
Q. Does China have more than one currency?
A. You may have heard a number of names and acronyms in reference to China’s currency – CNY/CNH/RMN/Renminbi/Yuan/¥. The items on this rather extensive list all refer to a single currency. The Yuan (¥) is the primary unit of China’s official currency, the Renminbi (RMB or CNY), much like the Pound is the primary unit of Sterling. CNH is CNY that has been traded in Hong Kong. Note that CNH tends to use a different exchange rate from that of CNY.
Q. Can I send CNY to individuals?
A. No, only beneficiaries who are companies incorporated in mainland China may receive funds.
Q. How much can I send?
A. As much as you want.
Q. How long will it take for my funds to be received?
A. Standard international payment times.
Q. What are the restrictions?
A. When you are sending money to China, it must be as a payment for physical goods or services. It cannot form part of an investment.
Q. Can I send you CNY?
A. We can receive CNY. However, restrictions may apply to send CNY within China.
Q. CNY is strictly controlled. Is it expensive?
A. No. In fact, it is cheaper to send CNY to China than USD. Chinese recipients of USD are charged a fee to convert their funds into CNY whereas, if you send CNY, you may get a discount.
Top Tips
• First and foremost, ensure that your suppliers can receive CNY.
• In order to comply with Chinese exchange control regulations and local laws, concerning overseas payments, recipients of your funds may need to supply documentation to their bank. To avoid any problems with your payments, remember to confirm with beneficiaries that the necessary paperwork is in place.
Information courtesy of Currencies Direct.
Visas & Permits
Visas & Work Permits
Applying for Chinese visas and work permits can be complex, so it’s important to have a Chinese fixer or service producer who is well versed on the latest rules and work-arounds.
The safest option is arriving on a J2 visa. This option costs the most and takes the longest time to process. Commercial and non-commercial visa options exist, which have different costs and timing for processing.
Some crews arrive on business visas or tourist visas. The tourist visa is only a good option for those arriving with very little or no equipment, while business visas are safer when a company sponsorship is involved.
Film crews planning to shoot in Tibet or other restricted areas require additional permits to enter.
Please contact a local embassy, consulate or representative for more information. Alternatively, there are specialist companies that provide visa and immigration support to the media industry, and may be able to assist.
Film Location Permits
In China, there are no citywide permits.
It is essential to have a good Chinese fixer or production service producer to navigate the process and sensitive locations. Rules, regulations and procedures for setting up a production are different for every part of China. Permitting times also vary depending on the location and use.
Locations such as airports and subways are possible to film in, but location fees are expensive and location control is restricted. City street closures is very difficult but limited traffic control, such as rolling blocks, are possible. A no-fly-zone applies to all major cities, but helicopter footage can be shot outside of cities.
The Forbidden City doesn’t allow commercial shoots, but it is possible to shoot small footprint handheld shoots such as documentaries.
Customs
For productions looking to bring in film equipment, China is an ATA carnet country.
When to Film
When to Film
China is a large country with a vast diversity of climates.
North and central China tends to have hot, dry summers (June to September) and freezing cold winters (December to March) with clear blue skies. Southeast China has rainy, semi-tropical summers and cool winters. Western and Himalayan China has very harsh, cold winters.
Most Chinese aren’t religious, although a minority practise Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
Public Holidays
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in China.
Costs & VAT
Chinese government currency controls keep the yuan undervalued and, therefore, the purchasing power of foreign currencies remains strong. Although low-skilled labour costs in China may be low, the cost of professional crew and filming in China is on par with wealthy Western countries.
The cost of shooting in Shanghai and Beijing is on par with any other major international cities like Tokyo, London and New York.
The standard VAT rate in China, at the time of writing, ranges between 13%, 9% and 6%, depending on the types of goods and services.
Funding & Tax Incentives
At the time of writing, this country does not have any filming incentives. However, up-to-date information on global filming incentives may be found on the Entertainment Partners' Production Incentives Map.