[Shanghai] Chinese Corporate Ratings and the Evolving Corporate Social Credit System – Best Practices and What to Further Expect

Elaine Chen joined PwC in 2001. She has accumulated substantial experience in China tax and business advisory services, China tax policy analysis, as well as communicating with legislative authorities and tax policy makers for advice on the formulation of tax policies and tax laws.
Elaine joined the tax policy team of PwC in 2007. As a core member of the policy team, Elaine has been focusing on the study and analysis of China tax and business related policies. She has built up long-term strong relationship with legislative authorities and tax policy makers, and has frequent interaction with them through sharing tax policies, enforcement and tax doing-business environment across the globe, providing her insights on various tax legislative and tax doing-business initiatives in China, etc. Her key areas of expertise are financial and tax reform, corporate restructuring, cross-border transactions, tax treaties, tax incentives, tax collection and administration law, and tax administration and service on large business enterprises, tax doing-business environment, etc.
Meanwhile, Elaine is also responsible for sharing latest tax regulatory developments and foresights with colleagues and clients. In addition, by working together with the Tax Policy members and the Practice members, she frequently assists MNCs, domestic enterprises and certain sectors in exploring opportunities to improve relevant tax policies as well as providing tax policy training for them.
Elaine holds a qualification of PRC Certified Lawyer, and is a council member of the Association for Fiscal and Tax Law of China Law Society.

Vivian is a corporate tax partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers China firm. Vivian started her career with Tax Services of PricewaterhouseCoopers Beijing in 2006. She worked in PwC US firm Washington DC office on a tour of duty during the period from 2012 to 2013.

Vivian has extensive experience in providing PRC tax services to multinational and PRC domestic companies including consulting services for multinational companies regarding their entrance into PRC market , tax and regulatory consulting for their operation in China, cross-border transactions, tax compliance services and tax provision review services and etc.

Vivian has been serving multinational companies in a variety of industries, including auto, finance, manufacturing, trading and pharmaceutical industries and etc.

Vivian has rich experience in advising multinational clients on how to manage the financial and tax compliance requirements in China, and at the same time fulfil the group requirements in terms of consolidated reporting, risk management, etc.

Vivian holds a master degree in Georgetown University. Vivian is a member of Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountant.

Steve Kou is a partner of Rui Bai Law Firm, which is an independent law firm and a member of the PwC global
network of firms. He graduated from the China University of Political Science and Law (LL.B), Law School of
Peking University (LL.M) and obtained a master degree from Stockholm University (Master in International
Commercial Arbitration Law). Prior to joining Rui Bai, he has worked in China International Economic and
Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), the Beijing representative office of a UK law firm, and a domestic law
firm. Steve is a PRC qualified lawyer. He is a native Chinese and also fluent in English.

Alex is advising multinational clients on customs matters in China. Before joining PwC in 2014, he has been working for 10 years as customs official in different functions with Shanghai Customs Authorities.

During his 10 years in the Shanghai Customs, he served in various positions such as Shanghai Customs Commodity Classification Center, Declaration and Inspection sections of Waigaoqiao Customs of Shanghai Customs.
With PwC, his industry experience includes medical device, pharma, chemical, garment, luxury, food & beverage, electronics, metal, automotive, etc. He has been helping over 200 MNCs in the past 6 years in the field of trade compliance and duty cost planning. He focuses on the resolution of the disputes between Customs and importers/exporters in terms of the tariff classification, Customs valuation and other declaration requirements. He also has hands-on experience in the fields of the processing trade with handbook, Customs audit, ASB investigation, bonded warehouse management, compliance health check, FTA & CoO planning, AEO verification, etc.
Alex is a seasoned negotiator with extensive background in coordinating relations between Customs and companies to find "win-win" outcomes. He has good connection with General Administration of Customs in Beijing and the main local customs. He has completed successful proposals for interim duty rate (IDR) to the General Administration of Customs and the Tariff Committee Office of the Ministry of Finance. He also helps the local manufacturer obtain the higher export VAT refund rate for their key product.

Alexander Prautzsch is a Tax Director at PwC China in the Shanghai office and is a member of the European Business Group.

Alexander is committed to advising European, particularly German-speaking clients, on their investments in China. He is focused on Chinese, German and international tax matters for corporate clients as well as their employees. Typical projects of Alexander include investment advisory, restructurings, profit repatriation planning, employee assignments, cost cross-charges and supply chain planning projects

Alexander is a German certified tax advisor (Steuerberater) and has lived and worked in Shanghai since October 2005. Prior to working in China, Alexander worked for three years in the international tax department in Frankfurt. Alexander is a German native speaker and fluent in English and Mandarin.