Relocation query - please help :) (Shanghai)

Hi There,

Was wondering if someone can help

I am Australian and wanting to move to Shanghai at end of the year and have a few questions

1) Do you need to speak Mandarine
2) Are there many internaltional US or UK com[panies that will recruit expats
3) Do you need a job before you get there
4) Is Decemeber a good time to go
5) I am 29, work in Marketing as a manrketing manager in Banking in london, I have 8 years experience and an advanced dilpoma. Do you think my chance of getting is high or low?

Apologies for all the qurestions but there is quite a lot of conflicting info on the various expat sites.

Thanks

Dani