Get a precise legal identity

Request the registered Chinese name, unified social credit code, and a current business-license copy. Compare them with the proposed contract and invoices. Similar names can belong to different entities, and a group brand can cover several companies. Record any overseas affiliate, trading company, or local branch separately instead of assuming that all participants stand behind the same obligations.

Use official records as a starting point

The National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System supports searches by enterprise name, unified social credit code, or registration number. Review available registration and disclosure information for the exact entity, noting the date of the check. Ask a qualified adviser to explain unfamiliar entries or inconsistencies. A public record is one source of evidence; it is not a certification that the proposed deal is commercially sound.

Connect the entity with the actual transaction

Identify who will sign, deliver the goods or services, issue the invoice, and receive payment. If those names differ, ask for a documented explanation and legal review of the arrangement. Verify unexpected bank-detail changes through an independently established contact method. A message in an existing conversation does not by itself establish that the payment instruction is authorized or the account belongs to the contracting party.

Look beyond the existence of a registration

Registration does not answer every question about licenses, operational capacity, intellectual property, financial condition, or performance history. Ask what permissions are required for the particular activity and how those will be checked. Treat registered capital and promotional statements carefully; neither should simply be read as cash available to satisfy your claim. Tailor further investigation to the value and nature of the transaction.

Record the limits of the review

Keep dated copies or lawful records of what was checked, the documents supplied, and any questions still open. Distinguish verified information from representations made by the counterparty. Decide with counsel which unresolved issues should become conditions in the agreement or require further investigation. A tidy report should make its limitations visible rather than turn incomplete public information into a blanket statement that a business is safe.

From reading to preparation

Your preparation notes

  • Match the Chinese name and credit code across documents.
  • Use official records and note when each check was made.
  • Identify the signer, performer, invoice issuer, and payment recipient.
  • List unresolved permissions, capacity, and financial questions.

Reference points: State Administration for Market Regulation service resources; National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. General transaction-preparation guidance reviewed September 30, 2026.