Notes from the cross-border desk
Plain-language notes on selected issues in cross-border M&A, private equity, capital markets, antitrust and dispute resolution across the Asia-Pacific. For general information only, not legal advice.
- 18 May 2026
PRC SAMR Merger Control: A Quick Reference for Non-PRC Counsel
A practical orientation to China's merger control regime — turnover thresholds, the SAMR review timeline, simple-case procedure, gun-jumping risks and common mistakes foreign counsel make.
antitrustm&aChina - 17 May 2026
Cross-Border Due Diligence on Chinese Targets: A Working Brief for Non-PRC Counsel
Data-export rules, state-owned status, regulatory licences and social credit — the five workstreams that consistently surprise foreign counsel running diligence on a PRC target.
due diligencem&adataChina - 16 May 2026
VIE Structures Revisited: Where We Are Today
The 2023 overseas-listing filing regime, the negative list, and the practical question of whether a new VIE is still a workable architecture in 2026.
VIEoverseas listingChina - 15 May 2026
Cayman and BVI Routes for China-Outbound Deals: A 2026 Pricing
Economic substance, the OECD's Pillar Two minimum tax, SAFE Circular 37 and the practical question of whether the offshore holding layer is still worth what it costs.
offshore structuringtaxChina outbound - 14 May 2026
Chinese SOE M&A Approvals: Decoding the Layered Sign-Offs
Group-level board, SASAC, public listing on a property-rights exchange, and pricing rules — the four-tier process that lengthens any deal touching state-owned equity.
SOEm&aSASACChina - 13 May 2026
Antitrust Filings for Joint Ventures in Greater China
Mainland SAMR, Hong Kong Competition Commission, Taiwan FTC — three regimes that frequently apply to the same JV, with different thresholds, scope and processes.
antitrustjoint ventureGreater China - 12 May 2026
Outbound Energy & Mining Deals: A PRC-Side Checklist
ODI filings with NDRC and MOFCOM, SAFE, sensitive-industries and sensitive-countries lists, SOE-buyer overlays — the China-side workstreams for an outbound energy or mining acquisition.
outbound m&aenergyminingNDRCMOFCOM - 11 May 2026
When the Target Operates Across Ten-Plus Asian Jurisdictions: Coordination Notes
Master-counsel model, document-room architecture, privilege variation, time-zone scheduling — practical patterns for running due diligence across many Asian jurisdictions in parallel.
due diligencemulti-jurisdictionAsia - 10 May 2026
The Quiet Return of A-Share Major Restructurings
Revised CSRC rules, the backdoor-listing standard, performance commitments and share-payment mechanics — what is now possible, and what is still constrained, in A-share major asset restructurings.
A-sharerestructuringCSRC - 9 May 2026
What Western GCs Get Wrong About Chinese M&A Timelines
Five recurring mismatches between Western SPA scheduling assumptions and Chinese regulatory reality — and how to design around them.
m&atimingChina - 8 May 2026
Hong Kong as a Capital Markets Venue, Reassessed
Recent listing-reform tracks, the specialist technology chapter, weighted voting rights expansion, and Connect-scheme integration — where HKEX stands as a 2026 listing venue.
HKEXcapital marketsHong Kong