ABG to host US business delegation to China in September 2019

As US-China trade tensions will soon be resolved, China’s door will be wide open to US small and mid-sized enterprises.  The 2019 China Business Delegation (Sept 22-30) hosted by Artisan Business Group, Inc. provides an exclusive opportunity to explore markets in the dynamic cities of Beijing, Jining and Shanghai. The 8^th annual business delegation hosted by Artisan Business Group will meet with private corporations, investment managers, law firms, business executives and government officials throughout their time in China. To learn more about registration, please contact us at artisanbusiness@yahoo.com

Chicago Workshop "Marketing Blockchain Projects and Raising International Investments" December 11, 2018

"Marketing Blockchain Projects and Raising International Investments" is coming to Chicago December 11, 2018. The Chicago workshop is organized by Blockchain China Connect and Artisan Business Group. The interactive marketing workshop for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry will discuss how to promote your project and facilitate investment capital from across the world, with specific focus on Chinese and Asian investors. Blockchain entrepreneurs and cryptocurrency investors are expected to attend and discuss the latest market and investment trends, marketing techniques, and regulatory updates in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. The one-day workshop provides industry professionals and practitioners a great opportunity of peer-to-peer networking and exploring investment, business and collaborations.

Topics for the sessions will include; Current Blockchain Investment Environment and Trends in Asia and China, International Regulatory and Compliance Issues, Utilizing Local Blockchain Media to Gain Popularity, Understanding Asian Private and Institutional Investors, Launching ICOs and Getting Listed and Traded, and International Negotiations and Partnership. Expert speakers and panelists include Brian Su of Artisan Business Group, Tyler McKay of Blockchain China Connect, Andy Wang of FutureChain and Rob Tiv of Sonic Messenger. Industry media partners from China and the US will cover the event.

The Chicago blockchain marketing workshop will focus on how ICOs, STOs and Blockchain focused projects can raise investment through road shows, private meetings with investors and international institutional partnerships. There will be lively discussions about the future of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin including conversation about the most popular coins in China such as NEO, VeChain, Wanchain, EOS and more. Other topics include updates on Chinese cryptocurrency regulations, and US securities & regulations impacting ICO such as Reg D., Reg S. Reg A+, KYC and AML.

Sponsors are welcome to contact us for promotional packages! The official venue for the event is Hilton Garden Inn- Chicago O’Hare Airport. 

Official agenda, registration and more details can be found on event website http://www.BlockchainChinaConnect.com.

China’s biggest ever bitcoin theft of US$87 million in cryptocurrency

(Source: South China Morning Post) Three men have been detained on suspicion of hacking into computers and stealing about 600 million yuan (US$87 million) worth of virtual currency, police in northwest China said.

The case is the highest value cryptocurrency criminal investigation in China so far, officers in Xian told Huashang News on Saturday.

The police started investigating the case in March when a man from the city complained his computer had been hacked and 100 million yuan in bitcoin and ethereum had been stolen.

“Our bureau has not dealt with this kind of case before,” one officer told the newspaper. “It’s the first virtual currency-related case in Shaanxi.”

Only two days left!  Join us to meet with Mr. Dong at the 2018 US China Blockchain and Digital Currency Conference in Los Angeles on August 22, last chance book your ticket now at http://www.BlockchainChinaConnect.com

After an initial investigation, police found the suspects had remotely hacked the virtual currency account.Police tracked down the suspects after three months with the help of several Chinese internet companies and arrested the hackers two months later on August 15. The officer also said the complex technology involved makes it easy for expert hackers to cover their tracks.  Read more report by South China Morning Post here.

China to push healthy development of blockchain industry

(Source: Xinhua) China will create a better environment to promote the healthy development of the rising blockchain industry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.
The blockchain is a digital ledger system that uses sophisticated cryptographic techniques to create a permanent, unchangeable, and transparent record of exchanges to trace each transaction.

Don’t miss the 2018 US China Blockchain and Digital Currency Conference in Los Angeles on August 22, only 4 days left, register now!  Your final chance to register at normal rate.

'The technology now has a wide range of applications in China including in finance, credit reporting, smart manufacturing, and supply-chain management, the ministry said.
The ministry will speed up pushing innovative applications of blockchain technology, with a focus on enhancing computing power and storage capacity.

A previous report by the ministry showed that by the end of March 2018, there were 456 blockchain technology companies in the country, with an industry ecosystem taking shape.
The industry remains in a nascent stage. While the technology has brought benefits, it could also bring risks such as technical loopholes, and challenges to current systems and norms, the ministry said.

The ministry also said it will work with local authorities to push for healthy and orderly development of the industry.

Chinese blockchain and software company Pansoft seeks overseas partners and collaboration

Chinese software company Pansoft is actively seeking overseas partners and collaboration. Cooperation intention includes: In the field of big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence, carry out technical exchanges, project development cooperation, talent introduction, investment and financing, and jointly establish the US branch of Pansoft Software.

Pansoft Co., Ltd. is an outstanding provider of comprehensive service for large-scale enterprises’ management information program in China. It is one of the most influential providers of management software and services within the petroleum and petrochemical industry. The company is headquartered in Jinan’s High-tech Zone – Qilu Software Park, with several R&D bases that locate in Jinan, Beijing, Shenzhen, Xian etc. The company also has cloud computing infrastructure and central nodes that cover the whole country.

Meet the representatives from Pansoft at the 2018 US China Blockchain and Digital Currency Conference in Los Angeles on August 22, register with online discount PROMO CODE: final

Pansoft is a key software enterprise in our nation’s strategic technology development program. It’s a high-tech enterprise recognized by the state, and it has been identified as a backbone enterprise in a software industry base which belong to the National Torch Program by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Pansoft is responsible for both the Enterprise-Mobile-Computing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Shandong province and the Software Engineering Technology Center of Shandong province.

The company’s business focused on the high-end market of enterprise information, providing management improvement and information programs to clients, providing integration and expansive development of both domestic and foreign high-end software, providing custom development, technical training and services of implementation to all kinds of management software, providing application services that based on Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things and Mobile Internet technology. Pansoft is committed to becoming a strategic partner for high-end clients and is focused on providing information technology solutions that support the improvement of enterprise management as well as the expansion of business. Pansoft is equipped to support clients’ innovative visions for management and strategy development.

Meet the representatives from Pansoft at the 2018 US China Blockchain and Digital Currency Conference in Los Angeles on August 22, register with online discount PROMO CODE: final

First China International Import Expo to open in Shanghai

The first China International Import Expo will open on November 5 in Shanghai. Through November 10, enterprises from around 140 countries and regions are expected to present their products, services and ideas in a step to provide new channels, strengthen cooperation and promote global trade.  160,000 buyers have registered with the Expo.

Representatives from Artisan Business Group, Inc. and Blockchain China Connect will be attending the five day event in Shanghai China, to schedule a meeting with us in advance, please contact us at info@blockchainchinaconnect.com

Chinese investors seek to invest in solid blockchain startups

Chinese investors are switching their investment interests from China’s falling stock market and real estate to silicon valley startups and blockchain companies worldwide.  Blockchain investments are increasing in China while ICOs and virtual currency tradings are banned. Though Bitcoin price has been on the unstable track, it has not stopped Chinese investors’ investments in setting up new digital currency trading platforms, blockchain startups, even new bitcoin mining operations.  Investors try to avoid regulatory risks by investing in international startups or setting up shops in foreign lands. Malta, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Central Asia, the US and Canada are all in their considerations.
While Chinese investors are seeking way out, local governments are also actively setting up new blockchain investment funds and startup incubators around the country to attract foreign technology startups by offering incentives, cheap apartments and free office rent, etc. So called innovation centers and technology incubators in the 2nd and 3rd tier cities in China are offering much greater incentives to attract young technology entrepreneurs both domestics and foreign, fintech, blockchain, IoT, AI, smart city technology are the hottest sectors.

If you are involved in solid blockchain startups, please send us an executive summary to info@blockchainchinaconnect.com, worldwide projects are welcome.

You are also welcome to discuss your opportunities with investors from China and other countries at the 2018 US China Blockchain and Digital Currency Conference in Los Angeles August 22. Apply promo code: final

7 New Things to Know about EB-5 Visa Waiting Lines

(Source: Wolfsdorf Rosenthal) On April 23, 2018, Mr. Charlie Oppenheim, Chief, Immigrant Visa Control and Reporting, Department of State (“DOS”) spoke at an EB-5 Industry Conference regarding visa waiting lines for EB-5 investors.  He indicated that applicants chargeable to mainland China and Vietnam now face visa backlogs for the foreseeable future, and that visa backlogs for nationals of India, Brazil, South Korea, and Taiwan are expected by the summer of 2019.

Mr. Oppenheim’s estimates, as he always carefully indicates, are based on the “best available information.”  He also bases his estimates on “known facts” and not what could happen in the future.  When predicting beyond what is clearly visible, Mr. Oppenheim cannot and does not speculate based on legislative, administrative, or other factors and variables which often impact the waiting lines. For this reason, Mr. Oppenheim must frequently revise these estimates. Therefore, this information, while helpful for some planning, cannot be quoted as fact unless published in the Visa Bulletin.  Additionally, these estimates do not consider other factors such as the big four “D’s” – denial, dropout, death and divorce –  which affect waiting lines.

Confusion over the detailed aspects of this technical area of U.S. immigration law is common.  Numerous variables influence the length of EB-5 visa waiting lines, and attorneys should be sure the investor client understands that many variables are involved making predictions impossible. Nevertheless, it is important immigration attorneys attempt to keep themselves up-to-date in this highly complex area.   It is also critical to plan ahead regarding the interaction between non-immigrant visa status and the EB-5 application to ensure complications do not occur.

Here are seven new things to know about EB-5 visa waiting lines:

1. Mainland China. Oppenheim stated that cases filed in April 2018 could take “about 15 years” before a visa would become available for a mainland Chinese born applicant. The USCIS Ombudsman estimated in its 2017 Annual Report that an EB-5 investor from China may need to wait 10 years to obtain a visa to enter the U.S., though reform to the EB-5 program can and hopefully will modify this. Mr. Oppenheim explained, “that if a China applicant were to file a new EB-5 petition that day [i.e. April 23, 2018] the applicant would have a 15 year wait before their priority date would be reached for visa issuance.” Mr. Oppenheim indicated, however, that there “might [be] a different way to calculate the wait time for a newly filed petition.” Furthermore, he emphasized, “[t]he important thing for applicants to remember is that if they already have an approved/filed petition, their wait time could be much less than either of our estimates.”

Accordingly, the fuller context of Mr. Oppenheim’s remarks shows that the referenced 15-year wait might apply to cases filed in April 2018 but not apply to cases filed before that time.  Indeed, the wait time could be much less for approved cases. Furthermore, Mr. Oppenheim indicated that his estimate assumes that only 2,000 EB-5 visas would be issued to Chinese nationals in a fiscal year. Data for the first three quarters of FY2018 (October 2017-June 2018) shows over 4,049 EB-5 visas were issued to Mainland Chinese nationals this year, taking a bigger bite out of the visa wait line for Chinese applicants than estimated. Nevertheless, as demand for EB-5 visas from outside China – the rest of the world (“ROW”) – grows, every visa issued to a ROW applicant (excluding those nationals with their own EB-5 visa backlogs, like Vietnam right now) is one less visa that can be issued to a Chinese applicant.  Mr. Oppenheim estimates that the number of visas issued to Chinese applicants will gradually decrease to a maximum of 3,500 EB-5 visas in FY 2019, and 3,000 EB-5 visas in FY2020.  It’s possible that Mr. Oppenheim’s estimates regarding the Mainland Chinese EB-5 waiting line will increase as additional data about ROW EB-5 applicants comes to light. As a result, the anticipated China EB-5 Final Action Date in October 2018 will be, “August 8 or 15, 2014.”

2. Vietnam. Oppenheim confirmed that the EB-5 Final Action Date for Vietnam will advance to January 1, 2016 when FY 2019 begins on October 1, 2018.  However, Mr. Oppenheim anticipates that the entire 7% of EB-5 visas allocated to Vietnamese nationals will be allocated by the spring of 2019, likely earlier in the year than May, when the cap was reached in 2018.  At this point, the Final Action Date for Vietnam EB-5 applicants will match that of Mainland China EB-5 applicants, as occurred in May 2018.  Industry data suggests that Q2 of FY 2018 is the first time in which Vietnamese EB-5 investment outpaced Chinese EB-5 investment, and the industry will likely continue to see high demand from Vietnam.

3. India. 375 EB-5 visas have been issued to Indian nationals from October 2017 to June 2018. Yet industry data and anecdotal evidence confirms that Indian EB-5 investment has increased significantly over the past year. Moreover, demand from Indian nationals in EB-5 remains high because of the extremely long visa backlogs for other employment-based categories like EB-2 and EB-3. Oppenheim anticipates a final action date for India EB-5 “no later than June 2019” and likely earlier.

4. South Korea. 423 EB-5 visas have been issued to South Korean nationals from October 2017 to June 2018. As a result, “[a]t some point during the summer of 2019” it may be necessary to establish a Final Action Date and that will likely be the same as the China Final Action Date.

5. Taiwan. 335 EB-5 visas have been issued to Taiwanese nationals from October 2017 to June 2018. Mr. Oppenheim predicts that “possibly” Taiwan may have a Final Action Date, “[a]t some point during the summer of 2019.”

6. Brazil. In addition to the above-mentioned countries, currently Brazil “is the only other one where number use raises availability concerns for FY-2019” and may also see a Final Action Date at some point during the summer of 2019.  Although Hong Kong was previously on the list of countries to possibly have a backlog, it appears there is no imminent danger of a Final Action Date being established. All other countries are expected to remain current.

7. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? Oppenheim predicted a China Final Action Date “during the summer of 2015” which became reality in May 2015.  For Vietnam he predicted a Final Action Date starting in April 2018, which became reality in May 2018.  Because Mr. Oppenheim has pointed out that his public comments are “likely to guarantee that they will occur, and most likely earlier than expected,” countries with high EB-5 demand should expect a Final Action Date sooner rather than later.  Additionally, EB-5 investors and their legal counsel must now factor in both long adjudication and visa waiting lines. These factors increase the risk of the investment term being much longer than anticipated, and the possibility of age-out and family separation become real.