Going to China to start a business in Shanghai

If you have business partner in PRC, you can ask him/her to issue an invitation letter to you and then you can apply for a business M type to enter PRC. If you want to run a business on your own, you need to first register a company and then you can get the relevant documents to change the M type to work Z type to run your own business in PRC.
It usually takes 4 working days to get the M type after you submit the application.
It usually costs CAD 142 per person.
The difficult part is to register the company in PRC and you can find an agency to help you.

Hello Frank
Thank you for your reply.
You are helpful.
May I ask a few more questions.
It is clear that setting up a business in Shanghai is what we want to do.

So:
1. We don't yet have a business partner in China and we want to set up our own company.
2. How do I get someone in China to invite me?
3. We wish to establish our business in Shanghai.
4. If we don't have to have a business partner in China we would like this as our business is going to be small and will be a marketing firm and not a manufacturing firm.
5. If I read your email correctly...you say we don't have to have a business partner in China to do business there...right?
6. When you say...first register a company...do you mean register it in Canada before I go over there...and then register it in China...or do you mean set up a new company in China?
7. We think it is best to register a new company in China and not have a Canadian company be registered there...less paperwork...less hassles...and we are going to be full time in Shanghai.
Again...thank you for your time.
Kindly
Ken

1. Ken, if so, you can apply for a tourist L type to enter PRC and then register the business. In this case, the invitation letter is not necessary.
2. The business partner is not necessary if you start your own business there.
3. I mean you set up a new company in PRC.