Forget it if your car is electric or over 20 years old. China will not issue papers for either of these types of vehicles. It doesn't matter what condition your classic car is in; it's not welcome in China. You also are not allowed to drive a right-hand-drive vehicle.
Arrange for a shipping company to ship your car by sea into the Tianjin, Dalian or Shanghai port. These are the only places you can legally ship a car to in China. You can find companies that specialize in shipping cars that will help you with the legal paperwork of bringing a car into China, like Carex Shipping or Ship My Vehicle. Note that the shipping and registration of your car in China is going to cost you several thousand dollars.
Get a foreign expert certificate from the Chinese Embassy before you go to China. You need documents for the company you work for in China to prove that you are employed to get this certificate. A visa agency can also help you to sort this paperwork out, for a fee. If you have the foreign expert certificate, you don't have to pay any import tax on your car. Otherwise, the import tax will be 47 percent of the vehicle's value.
Take your vehicle to the port and have the customs officers check it for safety. You will need to pay for this service, both on the American side and the Chinese side. The customs officer will make sure that your car is safe to ship and that the fuel tank is empty. Once your car gets to China, another customs official will inspect it to ensure that it is safe to drive.
Get a Chinese driver's license. China does not recognize any other license, including an international license. You need to get your driver's license directly from the Chinese police.
