Opinions, knowledge and resources from China Checkup's expert contributors
![How to Check the Registration of Your JV / WFOE / RO in China]()
by Matt Slater
October 30, 2013
Foreign companies wishing to do business in China do not necessarily need to establish any kind of organisation in China. If they do want to set up a ‘China arm’, it can be one of the following types of entity:
1. JV (joint venture)
2. WFOE (wholly foreign owned entity)
3. RO (representative office)
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![Is there a China Companies House?]()
by Matt Slater
October 24, 2013
You may know that companies registering in the UK register with “Companies House”, well the closest equivalent to a China Companies House is the Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC).
There are significant differences, however, between how the UK’s Companies House and China’s AIC operates and this article aims to shed some light on this subject.
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![What is a Chinese Company Bank Account License? Should You Only Make Payments to the Licensed Account?]()
by Matt Slater
October 18, 2013
If you’ve been asked to make a payment to a Chinese company’s bank account, you may be slightly wary of making payments overseas in territory you’re not familiar with.
You might be concerned that it will be difficult or even impossible to resolve problems if something were to go wrong with the transaction.
Only making payments to the license bank account can help mitigate this risk.
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![List of Chinese AIC Websites]()
by Matt Slater
October 15, 2013
We’ve put together this list of the various Chinese AIC company search websites (National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System) and Chinese AIC branch websites (工商行政管理局 or just 工商局) for each province / administrative region in China.
If any of the links are broken or out of date, or we’re missing any, please leave a comment to let us know!
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![How to Avoid China Fraud with Basic Due Diligence]()
by Matt Slater
October 15, 2013
Avoiding China fraud can often be achieved simply by carrying out basic research on a Chinese company before committing to doing business with them and before any financial transactions have taken place.
Just as in any other country, fraudsters and scammers exist in China and are only too willing to deceive you and your company.
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![How to Verify a China Company Address]()
by Matt Slater
October 08, 2013
Checking a China company address is a basic but important part of your due diligence process.
Finding out where the company is official registered can help identify any red flags, such as the company being located in a totally different location to the one they told you.
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![How to Find Out Where a Chinese Company is Located?]()
by Matt Slater
October 08, 2013
You should find out where a Chinese company is located and assess the implications of this before doing business with them. Climate, economy and transport options will all be significant. We would advise you to try and independently verify the location of a Chinese company, rather than accepting their claimed location at face value.
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![Is the Chinese Company You’re Doing Business with Located in an Urban or Rural Area?]()
by Matt Slater
October 08, 2013
Without knowing if the Chinese company you’re dealing with is located in a first-tier city, second-tier city or even a rural area, you won’t be able to include any of these issues in your considerations. Because of that, it’s a good idea to confirm where a Chinese company is located and do a little research.
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![Is This Chinese Company Real or Not?]()
by Matt Slater
September 30, 2013
When you’re doing business with a company in China, one of your most basic concerns may be “is this Chinese company real or not?”.
In Mainland China all companies must be registered with the authorities and hold a valid business license. This is how we define whether or not a company is “real”.
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![What is the Incorporation Form of a Chinese Business?]()
by Matt Slater
September 30, 2013
If you check the business license of a Chinese company, you will see there is a field called “Incorporation Form”. Note that we’re talking about a Chinese term here (公司类型 – Gōngsī Lèixíng) – you could translate it into English in various ways, including “company category” or “business type”.
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![Are you Dealing with a China Trading Company or a Factory?]()
by Matt Slater
September 30, 2013
When you’re buying products from a Chinese company, a common issue is whether you’re dealing directly with a China trading company or with a factory.
This is because many such trading companies in China will be ‘unclear’ at best regarding the issue of who they actually are.
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![What is the Role of a China Company Legal Representative?]()
by Matt Slater
September 30, 2013
Understanding the role of a China company legal representative and finding out who holds the position in the business you are working with can be very important when dealing with Chinese companies.
This article will tell you how to find out the name of a Chinese company's legal representative, but before we get to that it is important to be clear on what exactly a China company legal representative does and is responsible for.
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