By International Credit Reports
Ask for the registered Chinese identity
When a supplier introduces itself through an English storefront or export brand, request its registered Chinese name and business license details. Preserve the Chinese text alongside the English name used in correspondence. Do not create your own translation and treat it as the company’s registered identity.
Ask which company will sign the agreement, issue the invoice, and operate the factory. If these roles involve different businesses, name each separately in the research file. The license supplied by a manufacturer may not belong to the trading company offering to sell you the goods.
Shanghai’s official guidance identifies the Unified Social Credit Code as an enterprise identifier recorded on the business license. It also describes business scope as information shown on the license. Shanghai government: market-access guidance.
Compare the license with the commercial paperwork
Use this reconciliation table as a document review aid. A readable copy helps identify fields, but a copy supplied by a contact is not itself independent confirmation of every claim. Record how the details were checked and what remains unresolved.
| Item | Compare | Record any difference |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese registered name | License, registration evidence, and agreement | English alias or a different Chinese entity |
| Unified Social Credit Code | License and other company documents | Missing, inconsistent, or unclear identifier |
| Registered address | License and company identity evidence | Separate sales office or production site |
| Business scope | Stated activity and supplier’s proposed role | Questions requiring clarification or separate operational review |
| Seller and factory | Quotation, contract, and manufacturer details | Separate entities requiring separate research |
Example: mainland factory, overseas contractual seller
In a hypothetical sourcing arrangement, a mainland factory provides its license while the agreement names a Hong Kong trading company. The factory’s license can help identify the manufacturer; it does not replace research on the contractual seller. Keep both identities and explain which company you want assessed, or whether you need separate enquiries.
Likewise, a business scope description is not a test of production capacity or product quality. If your order depends on a particular production line, specification, or site, scope those operational checks separately. A company information report should not be read as a factory audit.
Prepare the report brief after matching the documents
Provide the Chinese name, English alias, identifier, address, website, and any license copy available through your normal document-sharing process. Describe any mismatch without choosing the most convenient name. State the transaction role and any essential information requirement, such as company-level accounts for a specified period.
If you cannot identify the seller from the available paperwork, ask about the enquiry before purchasing. A readable license is a starting point for identity work, not proof of payment capacity, bank-account ownership, or future delivery. The useful outcome is a clearly identified business and a focused set of remaining questions.
Check China company report options
Use the matched mainland company identity to review the available report types, current prices, and delivery estimates.