China 2023: The Dilemma
China is caught in the trap of a national structural crisis that has no growth drivers, but only growth brakes. These include the lurching and therefore unpredictable policies of the central government, the resulting loss of consumer and business confidence, and declining investment. The public debt, the trend toward deflation, the striking demographic aging, high youth unemployment and the persistent real estate bubble are further components of this structural crisis. To overcome it, the Chinese economy must upgrade to higher value creation - driven by innovation and protected by intellectual property, know-how and data. These must come predominantly from the West – essentially from Germany and Europe due to the ongoing geopolitical conflicts with the USA.
This pressure to innovate is contrasted by the increasing de-risking of Western countries in particular, which pursues de-coupling not as a complete break-off but as a gradual process of unbundling. This China-related de-risking is evident in investment screenings, the number of which has increased by 53 new or strengthened mechanisms worldwide between 2020 and 2023, according to the UN. In addition, new sanctions and investment barriers, export controls, and procurement restrictions continue to be added, all of which, on balance, accelerate the shift of supply chains out of China and into other countries. This puts China in a dilemma: The country increasingly needs Western innovations, but is ever more cut off from them. This increases the risk of unwanted transfer of IP, know-how and data.
Four Strong Arguments for CHINABRAND
Competence, Efficiency and Trust
No other consulting firm in Germany has a comparable wealth of experience and success with projects to protect intellectual property, know-how and data in China. That is why CHINABRAND quickly finds the right starting point for challenges in various industries. We are always informed about the very latest laws, regulations and standards, implement measures at a reasonable cost and manage projects responsibly and reliably. Therefore many clients have appreciated and trusted us for years.
Experts on Site – Under German-speaking Leadership
CHINABRAND has excellent networks in China and Asia and works together with experienced IP and IT specialists on site. Our project managers plan and coordinate all measures from Germany, maintain an overview and control results and costs. Competent contact persons in Germany are always available to our clients.
Your One-Stop-Shop for Complex Matters
Challenges in protecting IP and data are complex and require not only detailed specialist knowledge but also an eye for the big picture. That's why experts from different disciplines, such as lawyers and computer scientists, work closely together in our teams. As a one-stop store, we offer our clients many services from a single source. This saves them the time-consuming and difficult coordination of experts in Germany and abroad.
Protection against New Risks – With Up-to-date Knowledge
China creates growing challenges to foreign companies with new laws and digital innovations. With up-to-date knowledge and state-of-the-art technologies, CHINABRAND analyzes how European companies can seize new opportunities and protect their interests now and in the future. To this end, we are constantly expanding our know-how.
Multidisciplinary Teams
Challenges in the field of intellectual property, cybersecurity and data protection have many facets and call for a holistic approach, which is why the legal assistance of trademark and patent attorneys or IT specialists needs strong supplements. Companies wishing to protect intellectual property, know-how and data effectively and in the long term need a network of specialists from different disciplines.
CHINABRAND utilizes multidisciplinary teams of internal and external experts:
- Investigators, specialized in the field of intellectual property, elaborate the background of a case and provide evidence material.
- Trademark and patent attorneys with various industry specializations provide support in the analysis and enforcement of intellectual property rights in China and Asia.
- In the field of cyber security and data protection, IT specialists use state-of-the-art software to investigate data theft and secure the evidence.
- Communications experts ensure that successful measures are publicized in the national media.
- For projects in the ASEAN countries and in India, our long-standing network of experts provides us with competent and reliable specialists in the fields of law, technology and communications.

CHINABRAND Pulls the Strings – And is Your Point of Contact
CHINABRAND project managers develop strategies, design measures and coordinate their implementation. They constantly control processes, monitor costs and report results. In this way, CHINABRAND saves its clients the costly, time-consuming and often laborious coordination across technical, linguistic and cultural boundaries.
We Work Across the Globe
Intellectual property, know-how and data no longer know any national borders. If you want to protect these assets, you have to look beyond national markets and act globally. International business processes are standard today, and the strategies and projects to protect them are correspondingly demanding.
The new generation of brand and product pirates now operates worldwide. Their strategies are complex, and their structures are usually internationally intertwined. Chinese digital platforms play a major role in global counterfeiting.
With the new laws and regulations on cyber security and data protection, data traffic to, from and within China is becoming more difficult. Legal restrictions related to data are also increasing in other Asian countries, especially in the area of innovative technologies. Secure international IT solutions are now in demand.
CHINABRAND cooperates with competent experts in the fields of intellectual property, cyber security and data protection in many Asian countries. They maintain personal relationships with many local authorities. In Germany we ensure the optimal management for each project – in German, English or Chinese.
