To verify a Chinese company, ask for its 18-character unified social credit code (统一社会信用代码), search it on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (国家企业信用信息公示系统), and check that the registered name, status, capital, business scope, legal representative and address match what the supplier has told you. The check takes a few minutes, costs nothing and should come before any deposit is paid.
What the unified social credit code is
Every legally registered company in mainland China has one unified social credit code. It replaced the separate business registration number, organisation code and tax registration number that older documents show, so a single code now identifies the entity across government records.
The code is always 18 characters long, made of digits and capital letters. It is printed on the business licence (营业执照), usually in the top left area beside a QR code. The structure is fixed:
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Registration authority type (for companies registered with market regulation, usually 9) |
| 2 | Entity type (for example 1 for an enterprise) |
| 3–8 | Administrative division code of the place of registration |
| 9–17 | Organisation code of the entity |
| 18 | Check character |
The letters I, O, S, V and Z are not used. A code that is shorter or longer than 18 characters, or that contains those letters, is wrong and needs explaining before you go further.
Where to check it: the official source
The authoritative public source is the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, run by China's market regulation authority at gsxt.gov.cn. It holds the registration record for each entity, its annual reports, administrative penalties and listings for abnormal operation.
Commercial company-data websites repackage this information and are often easier to use in English, but they can lag behind the official record. Use them for background if you wish; base your decision on the official system.
How to search:
- Open the official site and enter either the full 18-character code or the exact Chinese registered name.
- Complete the slider or picture check.
- Open the matching record and read the basic information tab (基本信息).
- Then check the annual report (年报), administrative penalty (行政处罚) and abnormal operation (经营异常) sections.
If the supplier only gives you an English name, ask for the Chinese registered name and the code. English trading names are not registered and are not unique.
What to check in the record
Read the record against the documents and messages the supplier has sent you. Every field below should agree.
| Field | Chinese term | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Registered name | 名称 | Exact match with the licence, contract and proforma invoice. The bank account holder on the invoice should be this same name. |
| Status | 登记状态 | Should be 存续 (in existence) or 在营 / 开业 (operating). Stop if it shows 注销 (deregistered), 吊销 (licence revoked) or 停业 (suspended). |
| Registered capital | 注册资本 | Plausible for the size of order. Note whether it is subscribed (认缴) or paid-in (实缴); the annual report may show paid-in capital. |
| Establishment date | 成立日期 | A very new company claiming many years of export history needs an explanation. |
| Business scope | 经营范围 | Should cover the product you are buying. Wording such as 生产 or 制造 indicates manufacturing; 销售 or 贸易 indicates sales or trading only. |
| Legal representative | 法定代表人 | Note the name. It should match the person who signs or authorises the contract, or the supplier should explain who has signing authority. |
| Registered address | 住所 | Compare with the factory address you were given. A different address is common, but the supplier should be able to explain it. |
| Registration authority | 登记机关 | Shows which local market regulation bureau holds the record; it should fit the address. |
For electrical equipment, the business scope matters most. A company buying switchgear, transformers or circuit breakers for resale may list only sales activities. That is legal, but it means you are dealing with a trader, not the maker, and the type-test reports and factory acceptance tests will belong to someone else.
Red flags
Pause the deal and ask questions if you see any of the following:
- The code does not return a record, or returns a different company.
- The status is anything other than in existence or operating.
- The company appears on the abnormal operation list (经营异常名录) or the serious illegal and dishonest list (严重违法失信名单).
- Annual reports are missing for recent years.
- The business scope does not include the product, or covers unrelated activities only.
- The bank account on the invoice belongs to a person or to a different company, often presented as a "sister company" or "export agent".
- The supplier refuses to give the Chinese registered name or a clear copy of the business licence.
- Contract, licence and invoice show slightly different names, for example a missing word or different city prefix.
- Registered capital is very small compared with the order value, and there is no other evidence of trading history.
- The registered address is a residential flat or a virtual office for a company claiming to run a production plant.
None of these proves fraud on its own. Some are explained by group structures or export agents. The rule is simple: the entity you verify must be the entity you sign with and the entity you pay.
What else to check with a Chinese supplier
A valid registration only shows that the company exists. Before placing an order for electrical equipment, also ask for:
- Type-test reports for the exact model and rating, issued by an independent laboratory, with the manufacturer's name matching the registered name.
- Standards compliance, for example IEC 62271-200 for MV switchgear, IEC 60076 for power transformers or IEC 60947-2 for LV circuit breakers.
- Certificates such as ISO 9001, CCC for products sold in China where required, and CE or CB scheme certificates where your market requires them. Check the certificate holder name and scope.
- Factory or trader status, confirmed by the business scope, a video tour and, for large orders, an on-site audit.
The China Factory Rank score records whether a company's registered entity has been identified, alongside its official website, contacts and product range. It measures data completeness, not quality. See how the score works for details, and see the ranked lists on each category page before you shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
Is the unified social credit code the same as a tax number?
Yes, for most companies. Since the codes were unified, the 18-character code is also used as the taxpayer identification number, so it should appear on Chinese VAT invoices from the same company.
Can I check the code without reading Chinese?
You can enter the code itself without any Chinese, but the record is displayed in Chinese. Copy the key fields into a translation tool, or compare the Chinese characters directly with the business licence the supplier sent you.
What if the supplier says payment goes to a related company?
Ask for a written explanation, verify that company's code as well, and make sure it appears as the seller or as a named party in the contract. If the payee is not in the contract, do not pay.
Does a valid code mean the company is a good supplier?
No. It confirms that a legal entity exists and is active. Quality, capacity and reliability still need type-test reports, references, samples and inspection.