How to Check a Chinese Company: The Step-by-Step Guide

When sourcing parts, consumer goods, or equipment from China, vetting the legal foundation of your vendor is key. A supplier may present a polished English brochure or catalog, but under Chinese jurisprudence, English corporate titles carry no legal standing.

If you need to enter into contracts or wire funds, you must check the company using official state registers. This guide walks you through the due diligence steps used by international sourcing compliance teams to verify Chinese entities.

Step 1: Obtain the Legal Chinese Name (注册中文名称)

In mainland China, all official filings—including registrations, litigation cases, land deeds, and bank accounts—are recorded exclusively using their Chinese name.

Look at their **Business License (营业执照)** or find the red round corporate seal (Chop) stamped on their contract or invoice. The name will always end in **有限公司** (Co., Ltd.) or **有限责任公司** (Limited Liability Company). If a supplier refuses to give you their official Chinese name, treat this as a red flag. Learn how to parse these seals in our Chinese Company Stamps Guide.

Step 2: Query the National Credit Register (NECIPS)

The single source of truth for Chinese business registration is the **National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (国家企业信用信息公示系统)**, managed by the SAMR.

Access the official system at www.gsxt.gov.cn. Input their 18-digit **Unified Social Credit Code (统一社会信用代码)** or legal Chinese name, solve the slide captcha, and review the corporate registry page.

Step 3: Analyze the Business Scope & Capitalization

To determine if the supplier is a direct manufacturer or a trading reseller, analyze the business scope (**经营范围**) and registered capital (**注册资本**):

• Business Scope: A direct factory’s scope must contain terms like **"Production" (生产)**, **"Manufacturing" (制造)**, or **"Processing" (加工)**. If it only lists **"Sales" (销售)**, they are trading intermediaries. Read more in our Factory vs Trading Company Guide.
• Registered Capital: Industrial plants require large initial investments, meaning real factories typically register with **over 1,000,000 RMB**. If it is less than 100,000 RMB, they are likely a paper shell or office desk.

Step 4: Check for Abnormal Operations & Court Disputes

A company might be active, but on the verge of bankruptcy. Vetting risk flags is a vital step:

1. Abnormal Operations Directory (经营异常名录): If they fail to file annual reports or are unreachable at their registered address, they will be listed here. You can check details in our guide on how to check abnormal operations list.
2. Dishonest Debtor List (失信被执行人): Query the Supreme Court register. If the company or its Legal Representative has active debtor restrictions, they are insolvent, and wiring money to them carries near 100% loss risk.

Step 5: Audit Bank Account & Payee Details

Before wiring funds, ensure that the bank account beneficiary matches their registered Chinese name character-for-character.

Never wire payments to personal bank accounts or mismatched offshore entities in third-party jurisdictions. To verify the safety of NRA, OSA, or local Chinese corporate accounts, refer to our playbook on How to Verify Chinese Corporate Bank Accounts.