Our company and other companies too I know don't require gifts to get a project. We look for skill, quality and integrity. Do we exchange gifts, sure, we usually drink them during dinner (if you get my point). Gifts, project allocation / participation fees, etc, do exist, but are often used in actual construction projects, rather than design and decoration. Those fees work like an "investment deposit and insurance" too) and are also used to check if you have the funds to allocate to a large scale real-estate development project. (They don't want a supplier to run out of money, stalling their construction). I mean, you have seen the scale of the projects in China with your own eyes. Try coughing up that amount of money needed. Also, a respected company wouldn't want a foreigner to bring gifts (it's a Chinese custom, and it are their contacts, not yours). They would provide gifts for the meetings if you went to them together. Not make you buy them as you don't know the customs. You could buy a gift that is offending, damaging their image.

My apologies. I didn't mean your rambling. I meant other people's rambling based on assumptions. That's why I asked for more clear information so people can give solid advice instead of clogging up a thread.

Not on time, but maybe useful for others too.
Regarding identity theft. That's lesson 101 in China. First signs of a scam: you get contacted out of the blue and it sounds too good to be true. I'm sorry you got scammed.

Different ways to fight identity theft on this kind of projects (I'd exploit all!)
1) contact the official company with the names of the persons and project name, ask to speak the person in charge. (Use a Chinese speaker if you have to) if there is a meeting scheduled, ask if it is possible to move the meeting date. Make up an excuse (strike air Paris airport... again). See how they react. (I.e.: meeting? What meeting?)
2) Contact a local person to go and meet this company. Present a small gift. See if their office is real.
3) Ask them to send information / sketches / plan of the land to you only a real legit design / development company can supply you with.
4) (my suggestion of most reliable) if you actually do get the plans of the land, government approval / government contract, elevation maps, lot allocation, etc., work backwards, you contact the government in that district and inquire which company is developing it. Contact the company, contact the department, contact the person in charge. Then discuss the project and meeting. If they are oblivious and don't know the damage is done to the scam.

Is it easy? Nope. Another way I like is just contact a lawyer to find out. Local lawyers know all the scams. It's their job to know. A brief investigation is cheaper than getting scammed. They also have the ability to contact government, dig in registries, development plans, land ownership, and check their local guts (and colleagues).

That's why people should read and research before just doing things.
Just looking on here gives you an idea of other people wanting to do any real-estate / business projects and some post about scams to give you a rough idea. If you do research in the USA or Europe, why not China?

Good thing: you have photos and details as evidence (it goes a little way)

1) Best option: still talk to a lawyer as recommended above.

2) Secondly: you probably won't get your money back as it's only a year's rent of a flat. Not even anywhere close to the money you needed to buy / invest in a (new) property (if that's what you were planning to do. You'd need 20x that to even consider a single unit property development (without purchase). For a real-estate project at its smallest size, think x200 your 4.5K payment.

3) Please be more specific of what your project / idea was so people can actually make founded suggestions. Rather than ramble on and on.

4) If you still intend to do anything like look for a house / apartment / business place, interior decoration or investment, do your research and ask around. I mean, you did find gokunming.com.

I don't just post my information and company on here for nothing. We probably have the oldest design and decoration company in Yunnan.

Sorry, I mean places like Blue Bird. Not a place to bring your children or business partners. There's of course exceptions to the rule.
Places owned by HK, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing owners tend to be of a higher standard because of their exposure to western food.

There are some quality bakeries in town. All bakeries I've been were safe.

Supermarkets are normally safe. There's western supermarkets in town (Carrefour, Metro, Wallmart)

The really big issue in China is food-poisoning. Stay away from Chinese owned places that pretend to sell western food, and stay away from pork, eat halal. Bring some "probiotic multi-bacterial stomach flakes" (food supplement) for light cases, loperamide (i.e. immodium) for the heavy long-lasting cases.