While politicians everywhere are watching China and business and entrepreneurs are all wanting a slice of that ever growing pie, there is not a surge in demand from Australian lawyers looking to live there.

"The key to China is that you have to be a Chinese speaker if you want to work as a lawyer," Marsden Group principal Jonathan Walmsley says. "It can't just be conversational Cantonese at home, it has to be a higher level than that. If language skills were dropped, there may be more interest in China, but compared to Hong Kong, it is a lot harder as an expat to work and enjoy yourself in China."

However, with Australia's energy and resources boom being driven by China's ever expanding economy, there has never been a closer corporate link between the two companies, and service industries and its major players like the legal profession tend to follow the money.

"China is not a common path, lawyers rarely say 'hey, I want to move to China,'" says Karlie Connellan, an associate director - international with legal recruitment firm Taylor Root. "But those that do want to go and live there do so because it is an emerging market with a high quality of work and it's an exciting place to be."

Connellan says that in most cases, lawyers she has placed are motivated to relocate to China for personal reasons such as family or friends.

The good: By being a lawyer in China, you can feel like you are at the centre of the universe. Everything that happens in China has repercussions throughout the world, and the opportunity to act on major transactions for either in-house lawyers or private practiced lawyers is high. Unlike other Asian destinations, such as Tokyo, relocation packages that include a living allowance or bonus scheme are still offered to lateral hires from overseas

The bad: Similar to Singapore, firms on the ground are being increasingly picky about international hires, with recruiters saying Chinese language skills ate now almost a pre-requisite. Marsden International's Jonathan Walmsley also says clients still express concerns about the air quality in Beijing. International concern still persists about China's human rights record and freedom of the press and freedom of religion.

Realistic destination? Yes, if a Chinese speaker or an energy and resources lawyer. Also opportunities for in-house roles or secondments with client organisations.

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