What's the difference between parent company and subsidiary company, head office and branch company?

A parent company refers to a company that holds more than a certain proportion of shares in other companies, or can control and dominate other companies according to the agreement; A subsidiary refers to a company whose shares are all controlled by another company, or actually controlled by another company according to the agreement, and is in a controlled and dominant position relative to the parent company. Both the subsidiary and the parent company have legal personality, and the relationship between them is essentially the relationship between shareholders and the company. The parent company bears limited liability to its subsidiaries, which have legal personality and independently bear civil liability according to law.

The head office, also known as the company, refers to the head office that governs all organizations of the company. The head office has the qualification of an independent legal person and can directly engage in business activities in its own name. According to the Regulations on the Administration of Enterprise Name Registration, a company must have more than three branches before it can be called a "head office". A branch refers to an organization established by a company outside its residence to engage in business activities. Branches are an integral part of the head office and shall abide by the articles of association of the head office and engage in activities in the name of the head office. The head office has the qualification of enterprise legal person, but the branch office does not, and its civil liability shall be borne by the head office.