In this glossary we present each of the Chinese company type terms we have identified whilst researching Mainland China companies for our company verification reports.
As we continue to verify Chinese companies we will add to this glossary when a new term for a Chinese company type is identified.
Chinese Company Type Terms
These terms are are found on the Mainland China business license and offer a more detailed description of an entity’s company type than that included in their company name. For example “有限公司” means Co., Ltd.
This information is included when customers order one of our China company verification reports.
Tip: If you are looking for a specific term, try using the search function
For more general Chinese company types (such as limited liability company) you can actually determine this from the name of a Chinese company, as explained in point 5 of this article.
About “Other” Companies
- Question: What does “Other Limited Liability Company” mean?
This is our word-for-word translation of the original Chinese characters as recorded with local registry bureaus (Original Chinese: 其他有限责任公司). We didn’t find a specific definition for this in Chinese company law. The law only gives definition on “limited liability company” as an enterprise legal person whose shareholders shall assume liability towards the company to the extent of their respective capital contribution, and the company shall be liable for its debts to the extent of all its assets.
One explanation we found is that “other limited liability company” is a type of limited liability company, and this phrase is just the local registry bureau’s way of categorizing a limited liability company whose shareholding structure is not simple enough to be categorized into one group.
For example, companies with only one shareholder can be just called “limited liability company (natural person sole investment)” or “limited liability company (legal person sole investment)”; companies totally invested by foreign shareholders can be just called “limited liability (foreign-owned enterprise)”; other companies whose shareholders include both Chinese and foreign individuals/enterprises can sometimes be categorized into “other limited liability company”.
Need a Broader Description of a Chinese Company Type?
For a more broader description of company types you can try reading our article "6 Common Types of Company Registration in China" which gives a general overview of WFOE, JV, Rep Office, SOE, Private Enterprise and Individually-owned Mainland China companies.
Can’t Find a Chinese Company Type in Our Glossary?
Please feel free to leave a comment below or email us at info@chinacheckup.com, we’d be interested to hear about it.
