In general, short-term leases of around two years are preferable and the foreign representative should, of course, try to include as many options as possible. For instance, the representative should request that the rent remain fixed for two additional years beyond the terms of the lease. If expansion is anticipated, the representative should also insist on the right to have first refusal on adjacent space. Fixed-price services can be negotiated as well. For instance, if the price of a phone line cannot be reduced, some landlords can be convinced to furnish a second complimentary line.
Similar arrangements are possible for parking spaces and air conditioning.
Once the foreign company receives all of the approvals necessary to begin conducting business, the China representative can turn to such operational matters as hiring staff. The first decision regarding hiring is when to begin the process. Typically, the representative needs help but is too busy to have time to focus on choosing the right person. You hire someone who has no loyalty to you or to the company and you put them in very high stress situations. This isn't always going to work.