The short answer
- We verify identity, legal status and legal history from official Chinese public records.
- We search registration, court judgment, enforcement and administrative penalty records.
- You receive a written report in English with red flags and next questions.
- Scope and price are confirmed in writing before we start.
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Why check before you pay
A supplier's website, Alibaba store and sales manager can all look professional while the company behind them is different, much smaller, or in trouble with the courts. Chinese company records are public and detailed, but they are in Chinese and spread across several government systems.
What we check
| Check | Source | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and status | National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System | Legal name in Chinese, credit code, legal representative, registered capital, date of establishment, operating status |
| Business scope | Business licence record | Whether the company may manufacture, trade or export what you are buying |
| Shareholders | Registry and annual reports | Who owns it, and whether the "factory" is a related trading entity |
| Court judgments | China Judgments Online | Contract disputes, quality claims, unpaid debts |
| Enforcement | China Enforcement Information Disclosure | Unpaid court awards and dishonest-debtor listing |
| Penalties | Credit publicity records | Fines, missed annual reports, unreachable address |
| Certificates and bank details | Issuing bodies; contract documents | Whether certificates are genuine, and whether the bank account belongs to your contract party |
Common red flags
- The name on the bank account is not the name on the contract.
- The Chinese company name does not match the English name the supplier uses.
- Business scope has no production activities, but the supplier calls itself a factory.
- Very recent registration with very low paid-in capital for a large order.
- Status listed as abnormal operations, or active enforcement cases.
- Certificates issued to a different company, or numbers that do not verify.
What the report contains
- Company identity summary, with Chinese and English names side by side.
- Legal and litigation history, with case references.
- Red flags, ranked by how much they matter for your order.
- Questions and documents to request before you pay.
Questions
How can I check if a Chinese company is real?
Ask the supplier for its 18-character Unified Social Credit Code and its full company name in Chinese. Search the code on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn) and confirm the Chinese name, legal representative, registered address, status and business scope all match what the supplier told you.
How do I tell a factory from a trading company?
Check the registered business scope for production activities, compare the registered address with the factory address you were given, and check whether the company holds its own product certificates. A trading company is not a problem in itself, but you should know which one you are paying.
Which court records should I search?
China Judgments Online (wenshu.court.gov.cn) for published judgments, and the China Enforcement Information Disclosure platform (zxgk.court.gov.cn) for enforcement cases and the list of dishonest judgment debtors.
Do you guarantee the supplier's product quality?
No. A records check tells you who the company is and what legal history it has. Product quality needs a sample test or a pre-shipment inspection, which we also arrange.
Rules change. We re-check this guide regularly; confirm details before you travel or ship.
