Outline

Overview

China has recently become the second biggest economy in the world and is Australia's most important trading partner. Australian businesses are increasingly engaging with China. This unit addresses the frequently asked question of how to do business with China. It addresses China's unique business environment which has resulted from its unique culture, history and demography, and examines the business regulations, tax system, and the administrative and compliance issues businesses will face when carrying on business with China. The unit first outlines the business environment in terms of culture, history, economics, demography, and government administration. It then provides students with an understanding of the legal environment that businesses will face in China. Through a hypothetical case study, different aspects of business regulation such as contract, entity structure, mergers and acquisition, property and intellectual property rights, the tax system, different tax types and associated international issues, and social insurance are analysed.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Eva Huang, eva.huang@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Class participation Participation	10%	Ongoing	Ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Proposal of research paper Written task	5%	Week 05	300 words
Outcomes assessed:
In-semester test	Mid-semester exam Written exam	25%	Week 06	1 hour
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Presentation of proposed research area Presentation	10%	Week 13	5 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research paper Research paper	50%	Week 13	3500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Mid-semester exam: This is an in-class open-book exam and will cover topics taught up to and including week 4. The exam will include two short answer questions and a short essay. It is designed to assess the level of understanding students have in those topics and to provide timely feedback to students on their learning, in order for them to prepare for their research paper.
Presentation of proposed research area: This is a group presentation on the topic area students in the group has collectively chosen for their individual research paper. With the coordinator's permission, the student can choose to present individually.
Proposal of research paper: This is the individual written proposal to the research paper after the group oral presentation. At this stage, students should have a clear idea of the issues they are addressing in the research paper.
Research paper: Students are required to write an individual research paper on a question related to a topic discussed in the seminars. These could be in a range of formats, e.g. mock newspaper article; a research paper or a business case/advice paper. With the coordinator’s approval, students may write on a question of their interest related to the course that is not specifically covered in seminars. With the coordinator’s prior approval, students can choose to write a group research paper within their presentation groups. The word limit is the individual word limit multiplied by the number of students.
Class participation: Class participation is continuous in the semester. There will be weekly group discussion activities that
require the student's active participation. Please note that mere class attendance does not equate to active participation.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction and an overview of how to do research	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 02	1. An overview of China's business environment; 2. Industry structure in the PRC; 3. Five-year plans in the PRC; 4. Form groups	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 03	Continue with overview and a brief history of how laws developed in China	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 04	1. The government structure and sources of laws in the PRC; 2. Areas of business laws; 3. The general rules of civil law	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 05	Group presentations	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 06	Discussion of assessments and excellent past papers	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 07	International business law issues, expanding into the digital economy and breaking international boundaries	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 08	1. In-depth feedback on written proposal; 2. Feedback on mid-term exam; 3. Regulation and compliance: contract and enterprises in the PRC	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 09	1. Regulation and compliance: digital disruption to business regulation; 2. Digital technologies	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 10	1. Continue with regulation and compliance: digital disruption to business regulation; 2. Property; 3. IP; 4. Online purchase and payment	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 11	1. Regulation and compliance: banking and finance, FinTech; 2. RegTech as a concept	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 12	Taxation in China	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 13	Taxation and social security in China	Seminar (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded. Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. describe how businesses are conducted in China's legal framework; analyse and explain the cultural and historical nuances within this legal business environment
LO2. identify and discuss how Chinese and Western businesses are operated within their respective legal frameworks. Apply a comparative methodology to critically analyse these two very different mindsets revolving around people's attitudes to the law. Evaluate how legal problems can be solved within a business scenario in China.
LO3. analyse business scenarios involving legal issues
LO4. effectively demonstrate your written communication skills, and participate in a group presentation to demonstrate your verbal communication skills
LO5. appraise the differences in business ethics between the Chinese and Western cultures.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CLAW6030: China's Legal Environment for Business

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect