How to Verify a Chinese Company’s Legitimacy

Doing busi­ness with a Chi­nese com­pa­ny can be prof­itable, but also risky. You need to ver­i­fy the legit­i­ma­cy and reli­a­bil­i­ty of the com­pa­ny before you sign any con­tract or make any pay­ment. In this arti­cle, we will show you how to ver­i­fy a Chi­nese com­pa­ny’s legit­i­ma­cy in five steps:

1. Check the com­pa­ny’s busi­ness license
2. Check the com­pa­ny’s web­site and online presence
3. Check the com­pa­ny’s cred­it rat­ing and legal status
4. Check the com­pa­ny’s indus­try recog­ni­tion and reputation
5. Vis­it the com­pa­ny’s premis­es and con­duct an audit

By fol­low­ing these steps, you can avoid scams and frauds and find a reli­able and trust­wor­thy Chi­nese part­ner for your business.

Step 1: Check the company’s business license

A busi­ness license is a legal doc­u­ment that proves the exis­tence and iden­ti­ty of a com­pa­ny in Chi­na. It con­tains infor­ma­tion such as the com­pa­ny name, reg­is­tra­tion num­ber, reg­is­tered address, legal rep­re­sen­ta­tive, reg­is­tered cap­i­tal, busi­ness scope, etc. A busi­ness license is issued by the State Admin­is­tra­tion for Mar­ket Reg­u­la­tion (SAMR) or its local branch­es after the com­pa­ny com­pletes the reg­is­tra­tion process.

To check a com­pa­ny’s busi­ness license, you can ask the com­pa­ny to pro­vide you with a copy of its busi­ness license and ver­i­fy it with the Nation­al Enter­prise Cred­it Infor­ma­tion Pub­lic­i­ty Sys­tem (NECIPS), which is an offi­cial online data­base that con­tains the reg­is­tra­tion records of all Chi­nese com­pa­nies. You can access the NECIPS web­site at http://​www​.gsxt​.gov​.cn/​i​n​d​e​x​.​h​tml and search for the com­pa­ny name or reg­is­tra­tion num­ber. If the com­pa­ny is reg­is­tered and valid, you will be able to see its basic infor­ma­tion and sta­tus on the web­site. You can also down­load a PDF file of its annu­al report, which con­tains more details about its finan­cial sit­u­a­tion, share­hold­ers, sub­sidiaries, etc.

How­ev­er, you should be aware that some scam­mers may forge or alter a busi­ness license to deceive you. There­fore, you should always com­pare the infor­ma­tion on the busi­ness license with the infor­ma­tion on the NECIPS web­site and look for any dis­crep­an­cies or incon­sis­ten­cies. You should also pay atten­tion to the fol­low­ing aspects when check­ing a busi­ness license:

• Com­pa­ny name: The com­pa­ny name should match the name on the NECIPS web­site and oth­er offi­cial doc­u­ments. You should also check if the com­pa­ny name has any spe­cial words or sym­bols that indi­cate its nature or sta­tus, such as “lim­it­ed”, “branch”, “rep­re­sen­ta­tive office”, etc. For exam­ple, a branch or a rep­re­sen­ta­tive office is not an inde­pen­dent legal enti­ty and can­not sign con­tracts or issue invoic­es on its own.
• Reg­is­tra­tion num­ber: The reg­is­tra­tion num­ber is a unique 18-dig­it code that iden­ti­fies a com­pa­ny in Chi­na. It should match the num­ber on the NECIPS web­site and oth­er offi­cial doc­u­ments. You should also check if the reg­is­tra­tion num­ber has been changed or revoked for any reason.
• Reg­is­tered address: The reg­is­tered address is the legal address of a com­pa­ny in Chi­na. It should match the address on the NECIPS web­site and oth­er offi­cial doc­u­ments. You should also check if the reg­is­tered address is con­sis­tent with the actu­al loca­tion and oper­a­tion of the company.
• Legal rep­re­sen­ta­tive: The legal rep­re­sen­ta­tive is the per­son who has the author­i­ty to rep­re­sent and bind a com­pa­ny in Chi­na. It should match the name on the NECIPS web­site and oth­er offi­cial doc­u­ments. You should also check if the legal rep­re­sen­ta­tive is qual­i­fied and autho­rized to act on behalf of the company.
• Reg­is­tered cap­i­tal: The reg­is­tered cap­i­tal is the amount of mon­ey that a com­pa­ny declares to invest in its busi­ness in Chi­na. It should match the amount on the NECIPS web­site and oth­er offi­cial doc­u­ments. You should also check if the reg­is­tered cap­i­tal has been ful­ly paid up or not.
• Busi­ness scope: The busi­ness scope is the range of activ­i­ties that a com­pa­ny is allowed to con­duct in Chi­na. It should match the scope on the NECIPS web­site and oth­er offi­cial doc­u­ments. You should also check if the busi­ness scope cov­ers the prod­ucts or ser­vices that you are inter­est­ed in.

Step 2: Check the company’s website and online presence

Anoth­er way to ver­i­fy a Chi­nese com­pa­ny’s legit­i­ma­cy is to check its web­site and online pres­ence. A web­site is a win­dow into a com­pa­ny’s busi­ness and rep­u­ta­tion. It can pro­vide you with use­ful infor­ma­tion such as the com­pa­ny pro­file, prod­ucts or ser­vices, con­tact details, cer­tifi­cates, awards, tes­ti­mo­ni­als, etc. A web­site can also show you how pro­fes­sion­al and trust­wor­thy a com­pa­ny is by its design, con­tent, func­tion­al­i­ty, and security.

To check a com­pa­ny’s web­site, you can use the fol­low­ing methods:

• Check the domain name: The domain name is the address of a web­site on the inter­net. It usu­al­ly con­sists of a pre­fix (such as www or http) and a suf­fix (such as .com or .cn). You should check if the domain name match­es the com­pa­ny name and if it has a prop­er suf­fix. For exam­ple, a .cn suf­fix indi­cates that the web­site is reg­is­tered in Chi­na, while a .com suf­fix indi­cates that the web­site is reg­is­tered inter­na­tion­al­ly. You should also check if the domain name has been reg­is­tered for a long time or not. A longer reg­is­tra­tion peri­od may imply that the com­pa­ny is more sta­ble and established.
• Check the ICP license: An ICP license is a per­mit that allows a web­site to oper­ate legal­ly in Chi­na. It is issued by the Min­istry of Indus­try and Infor­ma­tion Tech­nol­o­gy (MIIT) or its local branch­es after ver­i­fy­ing the iden­ti­ty and infor­ma­tion of the web­site own­er. An ICP license con­tains a unique num­ber that can be found at the bot­tom of a web­site’s home­page. You should check if the web­site has an ICP license and if it match­es the com­pa­ny name and reg­is­tra­tion num­ber. You should also ver­i­fy the ICP license with the MIIT’s online data­base at http://​www​.beian​.miit​.gov​.cn.
• Check the SSL cer­tifi­cate: An SSL cer­tifi­cate is a dig­i­tal cer­tifi­cate that encrypts the data and com­mu­ni­ca­tion between a web­site and its vis­i­tors. It is issued by a trust­ed third-par­ty author­i­ty after ver­i­fy­ing the iden­ti­ty and infor­ma­tion of the web­site own­er. An SSL cer­tifi­cate can be rec­og­nized by a pad­lock icon or a green bar inthe address bar of a brows­er. You should check if the web­site has an SSL cer­tifi­cate and if it match­es the domain name and com­pa­ny name. You should also check if the SSL cer­tifi­cate is valid and up to date.

Besides check­ing the com­pa­ny’s web­site, you can also check its online pres­ence on oth­er plat­forms, such as social media, e‑commerce plat­forms, online direc­to­ries, etc. You can look for infor­ma­tion such as the com­pa­ny’s fol­low­ers, reviews, rat­ings, feed­back, com­plaints, etc. You can also com­pare the infor­ma­tion on dif­fer­ent plat­forms and look for any dis­crep­an­cies or inconsistencies.

Step 3: Check the company’s credit rating and legal status

A third way to ver­i­fy a Chi­nese com­pa­ny’s legit­i­ma­cy is to check its cred­it rat­ing and legal sta­tus in the mar­ket and indus­try. A cred­it rat­ing is an eval­u­a­tion of a com­pa­ny’s abil­i­ty and will­ing­ness to repay its debts and oblig­a­tions. It is usu­al­ly expressed by a let­ter grade or a numer­i­cal score. A high­er cred­it rat­ing means that a com­pa­ny has a low­er risk of default­ing on its pay­ments, while a low­er cred­it rat­ing means that a com­pa­ny has a high­er risk of default­ing on its pay­ments. A legal sta­tus is an indi­ca­tion of whether a com­pa­ny is involved in any legal dis­putes or pro­ceed­ings. It can include infor­ma­tion such as law­suits, judg­ments, arbi­tra­tions, penal­ties, sanc­tions, etc. A neg­a­tive legal sta­tus means that a com­pa­ny has vio­lat­ed some laws or reg­u­la­tions or breached some con­tracts or agree­ments, while a pos­i­tive legal sta­tus means that a com­pa­ny has com­plied with the laws and reg­u­la­tions and hon­ored its con­tracts and agreements.

To check a com­pa­ny’s cred­it rat­ing and legal sta­tus, you can use the fol­low­ing methods:

• Check the com­pa­ny’s cred­it rat­ing: You can check a com­pa­ny’s cred­it rat­ing with var­i­ous cred­it rat­ing agen­cies in Chi­na, such as Chi­na Chengx­in Inter­na­tion­al Cred­it Rat­ing Co., Ltd., Dagong Glob­al Cred­it Rat­ing Co., Ltd., Gold­en Cred­it Rat­ing Inter­na­tion­al Co., Ltd., etc. These agen­cies pro­vide cred­it rat­ings for dif­fer­ent types of com­pa­nies based on their finan­cial per­for­mance, busi­ness oper­a­tion, indus­try envi­ron­ment, etc. You can access their web­sites and search for the com­pa­ny name or reg­is­tra­tion num­ber to find its cred­it rat­ing report.
• Check the com­pa­ny’s legal sta­tus: You can check a com­pa­ny’s legal sta­tus with var­i­ous legal data­bas­es in Chi­na, such as Chi­na Judg­ments Online, Chi­na Arbi­tra­tion Online, Chi­na Court Announce­ment Online, etc. These data­bas­es con­tain infor­ma­tion about the legal cas­es and out­comes that involve Chi­nese com­pa­nies. You can access their web­sites and search for the com­pa­ny name or reg­is­tra­tion num­ber to find its legal sta­tus report.

Step 4: Check the company’s industry recognition and reputation

A fourth way to ver­i­fy a Chi­nese com­pa­ny’s legit­i­ma­cy is to check its indus­try recog­ni­tion and rep­u­ta­tion in its field or sec­tor. An indus­try recog­ni­tion is an acknowl­edg­ment of a com­pa­ny’s achieve­ments and con­tri­bu­tions in its field or sec­tor. It can include infor­ma­tion such as awards, cer­ti­fi­ca­tions, mem­ber­ships, rank­ings, etc. A high­er indus­try recog­ni­tion means that a com­pa­ny has a high­er lev­el of qual­i­ty, pro­fes­sion­al­ism, and rep­u­ta­tion in its indus­try, while a low­er indus­try recog­ni­tion means that a com­pa­ny has a low­er lev­el of qual­i­ty, pro­fes­sion­al­ism, and rep­u­ta­tion in its indus­try. A rep­u­ta­tion is an impres­sion or opin­ion that peo­ple have about a com­pa­ny based on its past per­for­mance and behav­ior. It can include infor­ma­tion such as tes­ti­mo­ni­als, feed­back, refer­rals, com­plaints, etc. A pos­i­tive rep­u­ta­tion means that a com­pa­ny has sat­is­fied and loy­al cus­tomers and part­ners, while a neg­a­tive rep­u­ta­tion means that a com­pa­ny has dis­sat­is­fied and unhap­py cus­tomers and partners.

To check a com­pa­ny’s indus­try recog­ni­tion and rep­u­ta­tion, you can use the fol­low­ing methods:

• Check the com­pa­ny’s awards and cer­ti­fi­ca­tions: You can check if the com­pa­ny has received any awards or cer­ti­fi­ca­tions from rep­utable indus­try asso­ci­a­tions, orga­ni­za­tions, pub­li­ca­tions, etc. in Chi­na. These awards and cer­ti­fi­ca­tions can demon­strate the com­pa­ny’s excel­lence and cred­i­bil­i­ty in its field or sec­tor. You can ask the com­pa­ny to pro­vide you with proof of its awards and cer­ti­fi­ca­tions or ver­i­fy them with the issu­ing authorities.
• Check the com­pa­ny’s mem­ber­ships and rank­ings: You can check if the com­pa­ny is a mem­ber of any indus­try asso­ci­a­tions, orga­ni­za­tions, net­works, etc. in Chi­na. These mem­ber­ships can indi­cate the com­pa­ny’s involve­ment and influ­ence in its indus­try. You can also check if the com­pa­ny is ranked by any indus­try pub­li­ca­tions, web­sites, plat­forms, etc. in Chi­na. These rank­ings can reflect the com­pa­ny’s per­for­mance and com­pet­i­tive­ness in its indus­try. You can ask the com­pa­ny to pro­vide you with proof of its mem­ber­ships and rank­ings or ver­i­fy them with the rel­e­vant sources.
• Check the com­pa­ny’s tes­ti­mo­ni­als and feed­back: You can check if the com­pa­ny has any tes­ti­mo­ni­als or feed­back from its pre­vi­ous or exist­ing cus­tomers or part­ners. These tes­ti­mo­ni­als or feed­back can show you the com­pa­ny’s prod­uct qual­i­ty and ser­vice lev­el. You can ask the com­pa­ny to pro­vide you with ref­er­ences or con­tact details of its cus­tomers or part­ners or look for them on its web­site or oth­er plat­forms. You can also con­tact them direct­ly and ask for their opin­ions and expe­ri­ences with the company.
• Check the com­pa­ny’s com­plaints and dis­putes: You can check if the com­pa­ny has any com­plaints or dis­putes from its pre­vi­ous or exist­ing cus­tomers or part­ners. These com­plaints or dis­putes can reveal you the com­pa­ny’s prob­lems and risks. You can look for them on var­i­ous online plat­forms, such as e‑commerce plat­forms, social media plat­forms, online forums, etc. You can also check if the com­pa­ny has resolved or han­dled these com­plaints or dis­putes prop­er­ly or not.

Step 5: Visit the company’s premises and conduct an audit

The fifth and final way to ver­i­fy a Chi­nese com­pa­ny’s legit­i­ma­cy is to vis­it its premis­es and con­duct an audit. This is the most direct and reli­able way to ver­i­fy a Chi­nese com­pa­ny’s legit­i­ma­cy, as you can see its actu­al loca­tion, oper­a­tion, pro­duc­tion, qual­i­ty, man­age­ment, etc. by your­self or by hir­ing a third-par­ty inspec­tor or audi­tor. By vis­it­ing the com­pa­ny’s premis­es and con­duct­ing an audit, you can avoid being deceived by fake web­sites, forged doc­u­ments, exag­ger­at­ed claims, etc.

To vis­it a com­pa­ny’s premis­es and con­duct an audit, you can use the fol­low­ing methods:

• Arrange a fac­to­ry vis­it: You can arrange a fac­to­ry vis­it with the com­pa­ny and ask for its per­mis­sion and coöper­a­tion. You can vis­it its fac­to­ry or office and check its facil­i­ties, equip­ment, mate­ri­als, labor, etc. You can also ask ques­tions and request doc­u­ments or evi­dence to ver­i­fy its infor­ma­tion and claims. You should pay atten­tion to the fol­low­ing aspects when vis­it­ing a fac­to­ry or office: 
  • Loca­tion: The loca­tion should match the reg­is­tered address and the actu­al oper­a­tion of the com­pa­ny. You should also check if the loca­tion is con­ve­nient and acces­si­ble for trans­porta­tion and logistics.
  • Size: The size should match the reg­is­tered cap­i­tal and the pro­duc­tion capac­i­ty of the com­pa­ny. You should also check if the size is suf­fi­cient and suit­able for the prod­ucts or ser­vices that you are inter­est­ed in.
  • Equip­ment: The equip­ment should match the prod­uct spec­i­fi­ca­tions and qual­i­ty stan­dards that you require. You should also check if the equip­ment is advanced, func­tion­al, and well-maintained.
  • Mate­ri­als: The mate­ri­als should match the prod­uct spec­i­fi­ca­tions and qual­i­ty stan­dards that you require. You should also check if the mate­ri­als are gen­uine, qual­i­fied, and well-stocked.
  • Labor: The labor should match the pro­duc­tion capac­i­ty and qual­i­ty con­trol of the com­pa­ny. You should also check if the labor is skilled, trained, and well-managed.
• Hire a third-par­ty inspec­tor or audi­tor: If you can­not vis­it the com­pa­ny’s premis­es by your­self or you want a more pro­fes­sion­al and objec­tive ver­i­fi­ca­tion, you can hire a third-par­ty inspec­tor or audi­tor to do it for you. You can choose from var­i­ous inspec­tion or audit ser­vices in Chi­na, such as pre-ship­ment inspec­tion, fac­to­ry audit, social audit, envi­ron­men­tal audit, etc. These ser­vices can pro­vide you with detailed and com­pre­hen­sive reports on the com­pa­ny’s premis­es, oper­a­tion, pro­duc­tion, qual­i­ty, man­age­ment, etc. You can access their web­sites and search for the ser­vice that suits your needs and budget.

Vis­it­ing a com­pa­ny’s premis­es and con­duct­ing an audit can be cost­ly and time-con­sum­ing, but it can also be worth­while and ben­e­fi­cial. By doing so, you can have a bet­ter under­stand­ing and con­fi­dence in the com­pa­ny that you are deal­ing with.

I apol­o­gize for the mis­take. Here is a revised ver­sion of the FAQ sec­tion that fol­lows your instruction:

Frequently Asked Questions

Find­ing reli­able and trust­wor­thy Chi­nese sup­pli­ers for your busi­ness can be chal­leng­ing but reward­ing. By fol­low­ing the tips in this arti­cle, you can have a bet­ter chance of find­ing a suit­able and sat­is­fac­to­ry Chi­nese part­ner for your business.

Sources:

1. Insight Qual­i­ty | How to Ver­i­fy a Chi­nese Man­u­fac­tur­er: 3 Impor­tant Steps
2. Fami Sourc­ing | How to Ver­i­fy Chi­nese Com­pa­ny & Sup­pli­er (13 Methods)
3. Reg­is­tra­tion Chi­na | How to check up the Chi­nese com­pa­ny – Com­pa­ny Verification
4. Sup­plyia | How to Ver­i­fy Chi­nese Sup­pli­er is Legitimate?
5. Meta­furo | Our 5‑Step, com­pre­hen­sive process to ver­i­fy Chi­nese manufacturers
6. Chi­na Jus­tice Observ­er | How Do I Know if a Chi­nese Com­pa­ny Is Legit­i­mate and Ver­i­fy It?