What is a Chinese company’s registration status and its importance?

What is a Chinese company’s registration status and its importance?

There are many registration statuses into which a Chinese company can fall, but the two main categories are “registered” and “not currently registered.”

Understanding a Chinese company’s registration status is a critical piece of information that you need to know to ensure the entity with which you are contemplating establishing a business relationship is a valid, legitimate Chinese business.

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As we’ve discussed in other articles, it is very important to know a Chinese company’s registration status. It remains one of the key ways a small- or medium-sized business can discern if the Chinese company is a valid, legitimate enterprise.

The chart below outlines the two main categories of a Chinese company’s registration status (登记状态 in Chinese): registered and not currently registered.

Registered companies

TermChinesePinyin
Existing
(In Operation, Open, Registered)
存续(在营、开业、在册)Cúnxù
(zài yíng, kāiyè, zàicè)
In Operation
(Open) Enterprise
在营(开业)企业Zài yíng
(kāiyè) qǐyè
Open开业Kāiyè
Existing存续Cúnxù
Normal正常Zhèngcháng
In Business在业Zài yè

Not currently registered

EnglishChinesePinyin
Revoked, Already Cancelled吊销,已注销Diàoxiāo, yǐ zhùxiāo
Revoked, Awaiting Cancellation吊销,未注销Diàoxiāo, wèi zhùxiāo
Cancelled注销Zhùxiāo
Moved Out迁出Qiān chū
Rescinded撤销Chèxiāo
Revoked吊销Diàoxiāo
Suspended暂停Zàntíng

Locating a Chinese company’s registration status

While there is no English-language search service for company registrations in Mainland China, there is a free nationwide Chinese-language search website for searching company registration details known as the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. In addition, you can investigate a company’s status by researching the State Administration for Industry and Commerce’s (SAIC’s) various local websites.

Additional Resources

Still have questions? We’re here to help.

We’re the partner of choice and go-to resource for businesses or individuals seeking guidance in researching, developing, and establishing relationships with companies in China.

Nuna Network offers more than a one-time report, but a range of validation, verification, and due diligence services that help you determine the authenticity of a Chinese company. Check out our valuable guides, helpful tips, and other practical information to help you navigate the complex landscape of Chinese Businesses.