As Chinese companies increasingly look to safe havens such as Australia for investment, a growing number of specialist service companies are playing a pivotal role in advising and guiding the growing flow of cross-border interest.

"There are a large number of companies and investors in China that are looking at entering the Australian market," said Radha Shivakumar, founder and managing director of Growth Concept Management, when asked about the effect of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement on trade and investment between the two countries, and particularly on Chinese investment in Australia.

As the ChAFTA's ratification approaches, advisory firms such as GCM facilitate business transactions and help investors manage trust, language and cultural constraints for successful entry into the Australian market.

"It is particularly important to match the needs of both buyers and sellers," Shivakumar said. "This can only be achieved by fully understanding not only the core of the businesses and their individual growth strategies, but also the personalities on both sides."

GCM is a boutique advisory firm established in 2004. Its main objective is to facilitate successful cross-border business-to-business relationships, while enhancing bilateral relations between Chinese entrepreneurs, investors and Australian firms.

"One example of how we work with Chinese companies is through providing guidance from the start of a process to making and growing investment in Australia - leveraging the benefits ChAFTA provides for Australian and Chinese companies," he said.

GCM focuses on increasing profitability in China-Australia trade and investment through its emphasis on such core principles as simplicity, transparency and flexibility. Having lived and operated in both China and Australia in the course of his career in business services, Shivakumar stresses that understanding business cultures is the key to best serving the firm's clients.

"Particularly in China, it's all about building relationships and trust, and you don't build that overnight," Shivakumar said. "As more and more Australian and Chinese businesses engage with one another, GCM takes a long-term view on relationships - building trust and executing successful opportunities."