Check a Chinese supplier's court cases, insured staff and trademarks on free official sites in detail
Beyond the business registry, four free official Chinese sites help you check a supplier: court enforcement records, published court judgments, the number of staff with social insurance (in the company's annual report), and trademark and patent records. All can be searched without an account, in Chinese, by the company's full Chinese name or its 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code. A clean record is not proof of quality, and a missing judgment does not mean there was no case.
- Applies to
- Overseas buyers checking a Chinese factory or trading company before paying a deposit.
Dear friend,
Welcome! This letter sets out what you need to know, plainly and in order.
Four checks and where to do them
| Check | Official site | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid court judgments |  China Enforcement Information Disclosure (zxgk.court.gov.cn) | Parties subject to enforcement, the "dishonest debtor" list, the court, case number, amount and status |
| Court judgments | China Judgments Online (wenshu.court.gov.cn) | Published judgments, searchable by party, court, cause and date |
| Insured staff count | Types of social insurance and the number of insured staff | |
| Trademarks and patents | Trademark applications and registrations; patents and their legal status |
1. Court enforcement records
The Supreme People's Court guide says anyone who enters the name of a party subject to enforcement can see "the enforcing court, filing date, case number, amount subject to enforcement and case status". The site says searches are free and must not be used for illegal purposes. (Supreme People's Court guide)
What it tells you: a supplier on the dishonest-debtor list has not paid a court judgment. That is a serious warning sign before you pay a deposit.
2. Court judgments
China Judgments Online is the courts' single platform for publishing judgments. Under the Supreme People's Court rules (Fa Shi [2016] No. 19), some judgments are not published online, for example cases closed by mediation; for these, the court publishes only the case number, court, date and reason. So no result does not mean no case. (Rules, 2016)
Searching and reading work without an account; saving and bulk download need registration.
3. Insured staff count
Since the 2016 annual reports, companies report social insurance in their annual report. The types of insurance and the number of insured staff must be made public; contribution base, amounts paid and arrears are optional. ([SAMR, Gong Shang Qi Jian Zi [2016] No. 226](https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/zc/xzgfxwj/art/2023/art_7c4e46edaea340e8b6e788e6fcb593fe.html))
How to use it: a "factory" with 3 insured staff is unlikely to run its own production line. Compare it with the staff number the supplier tells you and what you see on a video call. The number is self-reported by the company.
4. Trademarks and patents
- Trademarks: CNIPA's search page says its data "is not updated in real time… for reference only and has no legal effect". Check that the brand the supplier shows you is registered, and by whom.
- Patents: the CNIPA patent search system lets you check whether a patent the supplier claims exists and its legal status.
Also useful
- Customs credit rating: China Customs lists certified (AEO) companies. Rules: Customs Order No. 282, in force since 1 April 2026. See How to check a Chinese supplier.
- Credit China (creditchina.gov.cn) brings together penalties and red and black lists from many government departments. It did not load for our reviewer, so we have not checked its search here.
Tips
- Get the supplier's full Chinese company name and 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code in writing first; English names rarely match.
- Check that the company you checked is the same company on the contract and the bank account you pay.
- These checks do not prove product quality or on-time delivery.
Still uncertain
- Whether foreign mobile numbers can register on China Judgments Online: not tested.
- Credit China search: the site did not load in our check.
- This page is general information from official sources, not legal advice.
Sources for this letter
China Enforcement Information Disclosure (zxgk.court.gov.cn)
China Judgments Online (wenshu.court.gov.cn)
National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn)
CNIPA trademark search
CNIPA patent search
Supreme People's Court guide
Since the 2016 annual reports, companies report social insurance in their annual report. The types of insurance and the number of insured staff must be made public; contribution base, amounts paid and arrears are optional. ([SAMR, Gong Shang Qi Jian Zi [2016] No. 226]
Wishing you good business,
The mouwise team
Checked 2026-10-27
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