Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the challenges faced by Chinese companies in managing cross-border travel expenses when expanding overseas, particularly in ASEAN countries, highlighting the difficulties in understanding local languages and formats of expense receipts [1][2][3]. Group 1: Challenges in Cross-Border Travel Expense Management - Many Chinese companies struggle with the diverse formats and local languages of travel expense receipts, leading to difficulties in verifying the authenticity and details of these expenses [2][3]. - The proportion of pre-market research and business negotiation costs in overall operational costs for overseas business has exceeded 20%, prompting companies to reassess their investment returns [2]. - Companies are implementing measures to control cross-border travel expenses, focusing on reducing waste and inefficiencies while achieving overseas business expansion goals [2][4]. Group 2: Financial Compliance and Management Issues - The complexity of local financial regulations and compliance requirements poses significant challenges for Chinese companies operating abroad, necessitating substantial effort to understand and adapt to these regulations [6][7]. - Some companies have attempted to assign trusted local employees to manage finances, but this has not always been effective due to potential collusion and misuse of funds [5][6]. - The lack of a culture of employees prepaying travel expenses in certain ASEAN countries forces companies to advance significant funds, complicating overall cash management [7]. Group 3: Solutions and Innovations - The introduction of travel management SaaS solutions has been considered to enhance compliance and efficiency in managing travel expenses, although some solutions have been criticized for their complexity and cost [9][10]. - AI-enabled solutions are emerging as a potential way to improve the identification and verification of diverse travel receipts, allowing financial personnel to manage expenses without needing to understand local languages [10][11]. - Companies are increasingly seeking to integrate multi-currency payment and account management solutions to address operational bottlenecks in cross-border travel expense management [11].