The way for Chinese enterprises to go global compliance in 2026: ODI overseas investment filing is timely, and the Shanghai World Trade Center Expo will be held in November

01 Compliance, becoming the first challenge for Chinese enterprises to go global in 2026

Going out to sea is no longer a new thing, but the way of going out to sea is changing. In the past, many companies simply understood 'going global' as selling products overseas and registering a company overseas. Nowadays, with the gradual improvement of the cross-border regulatory system, a clear compliance mainline is forming - approval and filing, information reporting, and cross-border fund registration, which have become the necessary processes for enterprises to complete when investing abroad.

On July 1, 2026, the 'Regulations of the State Council on Outward Investment' (State Council Decree No. 837) officially came into effect. This is the first systematic administrative regulation in China's outbound investment field, which integrates regulations that were previously scattered across multiple departments into a unified framework, clarifying that investors carrying out outbound investment activities need to go through procedures such as approval and filing, information reporting, and cross-border fund registration in accordance with the law. For companies planning to go global, this is both a new threshold and a checklist to follow.

In other words, the overseas investment of enterprises is no longer just a matter of 'capital outflow', but a full process project covering policy analysis, pre filing, risk prevention and control, compliance outflow, and post investment management. Whoever first sorts out this process will be able to avoid detours on the road to going abroad.

02 Customer demand: What are the most concerned issues for overseas enterprises at present

The real pain points for enterprises going global often focus on a few specific aspects. The first one is the filing path. Whether to file for ODI overseas investment, who to contact, and which step to take, many companies are not clear when they first encounter it. Once the process goes wrong, subsequent fund transfers, overseas company capital increases, and profit returns may be hindered. The second one is the compliance boundary. Which industries are restricted and which sensitive areas need to be evaluated more carefully, need to be judged based on policy texts and actual cases.

The third one is the landing support. Completing the filing is just the starting point. The registration of overseas companies, opening bank accounts, financial and tax affairs, employment arrangements, and even the entry strategy into the local market are all tasks that enterprises need to plan before departure. The fourth one is information asymmetry. Enterprises often find it difficult to grasp the admission requirements of different countries and regions at once, making it easy to make judgments in information asymmetry.

Behind these demands, they actually point to the same demand: enterprises need a platform that can simultaneously answer 'whether they can go global, how to go global in compliance, and how to land after going global', rather than listening to a few lectures and researching a few pieces of information in a scattered manner.

03 Exhibition Value: One exhibition, putting the homework of going abroad at the forefront

The upcoming expo has set up a section specifically for enterprises to go global, bringing together relevant institutions such as policy services, filing consultation, and overseas landing support in one venue. For enterprises, the value of exhibiting lies in several aspects.

One is a centralized information portal. You don't need to make appointments one by one, as you can access multiple service providers on the overseas chain in the same place. From filing guidance to cross-border finance, overseas registration, and tax planning, on-site communication efficiency is higher. The second is face-to-face communication of solutions. The issue of going global is often a specific problem, and companies can communicate one-on-one with professional institutions based on their own business stages and confusion to obtain targeted advice, rather than general public information. The third is horizontal reference between peers and institutions. At the exhibition, you can see the focus of similar enterprises and compare the service priorities of different institutions, providing reference for future choices.

For participating organizations, this exhibition is also an efficient docking scenario. High intention business decision-makers will be present within three days, allowing institutions to directly understand the company's real overseas demands and project stages, presenting service capabilities to customers in need, and reducing lengthy reach costs. Multiple exchange activities were set up at the exhibition site, providing a platform for institutions to showcase their service processes and share compliance points.

04 Practical Reminders for Overseas Enterprises

Considering the policy changes in the past two years, there are several things that companies are advised to pay attention to as soon as possible. Firstly, the timing of filing should be as early as possible. The approval and filing of foreign investment, information reporting, cross-border fund registration and other procedures all have prerequisites. Instead of waiting for the project to be negotiated and then completing the process, it is better to place compliance assessment in the early stage of decision-making, leaving sufficient preparation period.

Secondly, compliance is not a one-time action. Overseas projects, from establishment, operation to subsequent investment, may generate new reporting or registration obligations under the regulatory framework. Enterprises need to establish a continuous tracking mechanism, rather than simply completing one thing and thinking it's over. Thirdly, information should be verified item by item. There are different opinions online regarding the filing conditions and procedures. The latest policy text released by the competent department should be used as the standard. When it comes to specific projects, professional institutions should be consulted to avoid taking detours due to misreading of information.

Fourthly, professional collaboration can significantly reduce the cost of trial and error. Filing, funding, taxation, and overseas landing often belong to different professional fields, and one institution may not be able to cover all of them. Through centralized scenarios such as exhibitions, it is easier to have service providers from different stages come into contact simultaneously, making it easier to come up with relatively complete solutions. Doing the homework of going out first will make every subsequent step more relaxed.

05 Exhibition Details and Participation Methods

This expo will be held from November 20th to 22nd, 2026 at the Shanghai World Trade Exhibition Center, lasting for three days, and is expected to attract about 8000 visitors. The exhibition covers multiple areas such as enterprise overseas expansion, immigration, study abroad, real estate, and financial services, making it suitable for enterprises planning to conduct overseas business, as well as personnel making cross-border arrangements for enterprises and families to visit and exchange.

If you need to know the specific arrangements for exhibiting, attending or viewing exhibitions, please call the exhibition hotline 13681692751 (same as WeChat) for consultation, or visit the official website www.qs-expo.com to view the latest information. Doing homework ahead will make the sea journey more stable.