Checking a Chinese Partner in 30 Minutes: Public Records You Can Read Yourself
China Field Notes · by Daona · 11 min read
Before you wire a deposit, sign an exclusive distribution deal or bring a partner into a joint venture, spend half an hour with China's public records. They will not tell you everything. They will often tell you enough to ask the right questions — or to walk away.
Many foreign buyers and investors still rely on the evidence they would use at home: a professional website, a smart showroom, a friendly sales manager who answers WeChat at midnight. None of these tell you who owns the company, whether it has been sued, or whether the "factory" employs three people or three hundred.
China has a large and mostly free public record system for companies. It is in Chinese, spread across several official websites, and takes a little practice. This issue shows where to look, what to read and which red flags matter.
Every company registered in mainland China has:
· A registered Chinese name — its only legal name
· An 18-character Unified Social Credit Code (统一社会信用代码) — its unique ID for registration, tax, customs and banking
English names have no legal status. Two companies can use similar English names, and a trading company can use one that suggests a factory.
Ask for a photo of the business licence (营业执照). It shows the Chinese name, credit code, legal representative, registered capital, establishment date, address and business scope. A serious company sends it without hesitation.
① National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System
gsxt.gov.cn · 国家企业信用信息公示系统 · run by the market regulator
| Basic info | Established, capital, legal rep., address, scope, status ("存续/在业" = active) |
| Shareholders | Owners; subscribed and paid-in capital |
| Changes | Recent changes of legal rep., owners, address, name |
| Annual reports | Insured employee headcount (参保人数), contacts, paid-in capital |
| Lists | Abnormal operations (经营异常); serious violations (严重违法失信) |
| Other | Administrative penalties; equity pledges; chattel mortgages |
The insured headcount is one of the most useful numbers in the system, because it is linked to actual social insurance contributions. A "factory with 500 workers" showing 6 insured employees deserves a question.
② China Enforcement Information Disclosure
zxgk.court.gov.cn · 中国执行信息公开网 · Supreme People's Court
· Subject to enforcement (被执行人) — ordered to pay, enforcement under way
· Dishonest judgement debtor (失信被执行人) — able to pay but has not
· Consumption restrictions (限制消费) — company and legal rep. barred from high spending
Search the company and the legal representative. A supplier that ignores court judgements will ignore your contract too.
③ China Judgements Online
wenshu.court.gov.cn · 中国裁判文书网
Published judgements: contract disputes, unpaid suppliers, labour and quality cases. Caveat: online publication has fallen sharply since 2023. Finding nothing does not mean there are no cases.
④ Credit China
creditchina.gov.cn · 信用中国
Consolidated administrative penalties, licences and lists such as major tax violations.
⑤ Intellectual property records
CNIPA trademark search (sbj.cnipa.gov.cn) · patent search
Does the company own the trademarks and patents it claims? And has someone already registered your brand in China? (Issue 19.)
⑥ Customs credit records
credit.customs.gov.cn · 中国海关企业进出口信用信息公示平台
Registered with customs for import and export? Credit grade? A supplier promising direct export should normally be registered, or name the exporter.
⑦ Commercial databases
Qichacha (企查查) · Tianyancha (天眼查)
Fast, aggregated, with related companies and history. They are secondary sources — confirm anything decisive on the official websites.
Trading companies are not bad — good ones add value in sourcing, consolidation and quality control. You just need to know which one you have.
| Signal | Manufacturer | Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Business scope | 生产、制造、加工 | 销售、批发、进出口 only |
| Insured staff | Dozens to hundreds | A handful |
| Address | Industrial park | City-centre office |
| Licences | Production licences for its category | None |
| Patents | In its own name | None, or others' names |
| Visit | You see your product made | Showroom; factory "too far" |
A common structure is a city-office trader that owns, or is owned by, a factory elsewhere. Check the shareholder links. If the factory is related, contract with it directly or have it guarantee quality.
Identity mismatches. Contract, business licence and beneficiary account names should be identical. A request to pay a different company, a Hong Kong company or a personal account needs a written explanation — and usually a refusal.
Recent changes. A new legal representative or controlling shareholder in the last six months may mean a sale, a dispute or a shell.
Abnormal operations listing. Often for missed annual reports or being unreachable at the address. Fixable, but telling.
Enforcement or dishonest debtor records. Stop any deposit until you understand them.
Capital only on paper. Large registered capital, little or nothing paid in. Paid-in amounts are disclosed under the 2024 Company Law — look at them.
Young company, big claims. Established last year, yet "20 years of experience". Ask whose experience.
Address problems. A residential or business-centre address combined with claims of large-scale production.
| They said | Records showed | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| "Factory with 300 workers" | Sales & import-export scope; 4 insured staff | Ask for the factory's name; check it |
| "Established in 2006" | Set up 2024; a related firm dates from 2006 | Ask which entity signs and delivers |
| "Our patented design" | Patent held by an unrelated company | Ask for a licence or holder's confirmation |
| "Pay our HK account" | No HK shareholder; mainland contract party | Pay the contracting party only |
| "We export worldwide" | No customs registration | Ask which exporter ships |
| — | Legal rep. changed two months ago | Ask why |
Composite example. Does not refer to any real company.
None of these alone proves fraud. Together they say: slow down, ask questions, and change the payment terms.
· A site visit, unannounced if possible, where production actually happens
· A trial order with a small deposit before a large one
· Third-party inspection before shipment
· Safer payment terms: a letter of credit or payment against documents, not a large advance
· Bank and customer references
· A professional background report for JVs, acquisitions and exclusive deals
"Big showroom, so they must be real." Showrooms are cheap compared with factories. Records are harder to fake.
"Nothing on China Judgements Online means no lawsuits." Publication has been reduced. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
"The commercial database says it's fine." Use it for speed; confirm key facts officially.
"Asking for their licence is rude." It is normal practice. Chinese companies ask each other all the time.
"A trading company is a red flag." Not by itself. A hidden trading company is.
Your 30-minute checklist
☐ Business licence received; Chinese name and credit code noted
☐ gsxt.gov.cn: status, owners, changes, insured headcount, listings, penalties, pledges
☐ zxgk.court.gov.cn: company and legal rep. searched
☐ wenshu.court.gov.cn searched, minding reduced publication
☐ creditchina.gov.cn: penalties and blacklists
☐ Claimed trademarks and patents verified
☐ Customs registration checked if they will export
☐ Contract, licence and bank account names identical
☐ Payment terms adjusted to what you found
☐ Reply CHECK for our Partner Background Check Checklist
Rules as of October 2026. This column provides general information. For joint ventures, acquisitions and large transactions, we recommend a professional background investigation and legal review.
China Field Notes · by Daona