If you are about to sign a purchase contract or send a deposit to a Chinese supplier, the first identity check is simple in principle: confirm that the legal entity on the documents exists in China’s official public registry, and that the same Chinese name appears on the business license, the contract, and — later — the bank beneficiary. That registry is the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, usually called GSXT (国家企业信用信息公示系统).
This guide is a practical English walkthrough for US buyers. It explains what to collect, how to search, what the main fields mean, which mismatches are red flags, and what a clean result still does not prove. It is due diligence guidance, not legal advice, and not a guarantee that a supplier will perform.
1. Collect the right search keys before you open GSXT
Ask the supplier for a clear, current copy of the business license (营业执照). From that file, copy two keys exactly:
- Chinese legal name — the full registered name in Chinese characters, not an English brand, Alibaba store name, or WeChat display name.
- Unified Social Credit Code (USCC / USCI) — the 18-character code on the license. Under China’s unified coding rules (GB 32100-2015), this is the nationwide organization identity code shown on the license.
Also keep, as aliases only: English trading names, website domains, marketplace shop names, and the salesperson’s name. Those help you talk about the relationship; they are not GSXT search keys.
If the supplier will not send a readable license, or only sends a cropped image that hides the code or Chinese name, stop. Identity is unresolved.
2. Search GSXT with the Chinese name or the code
- Open https://www.gsxt.gov.cn/index.html.
- Enter the exact Chinese name or the 18-character code, then search.
- Prefer the code when you have it. Name search can be fuzzy and, per GSXT help text, may return up to 100 records. Do not pick a “close enough” result.
- Open the matching record. Save a dated capture of what you saw (PDF print, screenshot with URL and date, or an extract). Facts change; an undated image from the supplier is weaker evidence than a live check you dated yourself.
3. What the main fields mean (and what they do not)
Chinese market-entity registration rules treat items such as name, entity type, business scope, address, registered capital and legal representative as registration matters. Changes are supposed to be registered, so the live record matters more than an old scan.
| Field (typical) | What to compare | Common misread |
|---|---|---|
| 企业名称 / Name | Must match the Chinese name on the license, contract and (for payment) bank beneficiary | Assuming an English brand equals the legal name |
| 统一社会信用代码 / USCC | Must match the license character-for-character | Ignoring a one-character difference |
| 法定代表人 / Legal representative | Compare with the person signing or claiming authority | Assuming every salesperson is the legal representative |
| 登记状态 / Status | Look for operating status such as 存续 / 在业 (active). Treat 吊销 (revoked), 注销 (deregistered), 迁出 (moved out) and abnormal-list entries as hold conditions | Reading only the name and skipping status |
| 住所 / Registered address | Compare with the address on documents and the claimed factory address | Assuming registered address = production site |
| 经营范围 / Business scope | Check whether the wording could cover what they sell you | Treating scope wording as proof they manufacture in-house |
| 注册资本 / Registered capital | Note the figure and whether it is paid-in if disclosed | Treating a large registered capital as proof of cash or capacity |
Also review publicly shown items when available: annual report filings, administrative penalties, and listings related to abnormal operations or serious violations. “No penalty shown” is not the same as “no risk.” Public data can be incomplete or delayed.
4. Match the registry to the license, contract and bank details
Build a simple three-column note before you pay:
- Commercial seller — the name you negotiated with (often English).
- Contracting entity — the Chinese legal name on the PI/contract.
- Bank beneficiary — the exact account-holder name on the wire instructions.
Then check:
- License Chinese name = GSXT name = contract seller name.
- License USCC = GSXT USCC.
- Status is active at the date of your check.
- Bank beneficiary matches the same Chinese legal name (see our guide on verifying the supplier bank account).
If any of those fail, hold payment until the supplier explains the difference in writing and you can verify the explanation through an independent channel.
5. Red flags that deserve a hard pause
- Only an English name, logo, or marketplace badge — no Chinese license.
- License image that is blurry, cropped, or digitally inconsistent.
- GSXT returns no match for the stated Chinese name/code.
- Status is revoked, deregistered, or on an abnormal operations list.
- Contract uses Company A; payment instructions name Company B or a person.
- Registered address is a residential apartment while they claim large-scale manufacturing — not proof of fraud by itself, but a reason to demand a site check.
- Pressure to pay immediately before you finish identity matching.
6. Honest limits: what GSXT cannot do
- It does not prove the company owns a factory, owns tooling, or will make your goods.
- It does not prove product quality, export capability, or financial health.
- It does not prove that a bank account belongs to the company — that is a separate payment check.
- It cannot catch every forged document or staged operation by itself.
- A match confirms a registered identity at the time of the search. Your business decision remains yours.
7. One-page checklist you can reuse
- Receive license PDF/photo; copy Chinese name + USCC.
- Search GSXT; save dated result.
- Match name, code, status, legal representative, address, scope.
- Match contract seller to the same Chinese name.
- Match bank beneficiary to the same Chinese name (or escalate mismatch).
- List what is still Not Verified before any deposit.
8. Reading the business license itself
The license is the document you match to GSXT — not a substitute for GSXT. Typical fields include the Unified Social Credit Code, Chinese name, entity type, legal representative, registered capital, founding date, business term, business scope, registered address, registration authority and issue date. Many licenses also carry a QR code that local apps can scan into the publicity system; overseas buyers should still complete a typed search and keep a dated extract.
Photo limits: a phone photo can hide security features and corners. Prefer a full-page color scan or a high-resolution image that shows all four edges. If the supplier sends only a WeChat compressed image, ask again for a clearer file. Never “fix” a supplier’s PDF for them and then treat your edit as their document.
9. English names, seals and who may sign
Chinese companies often use an English trading name that does not appear on GSXT. That is normal. What is not normal is signing a contract only in English under a name that cannot be tied to a Chinese legal entity. Ask for the Chinese name in the same document, and make sure the company chop / signature block matches the entity you verified.
The legal representative has statutory authority; other people may sign with authorization. If a salesperson signs, ask for a written authorization that you can keep with the contract. GSXT will not always list every authorized agent — so this is a document check layered on top of the registry check.
10. After a clean GSXT match: sensible next checks
- Payment beneficiary match (separate guide).
- Whether the business scope and site story support a factory role vs a trading role.
- Export history claims — ask for customs or shipment evidence you can evaluate, labeled as supplier-stated until independently supported.
- Sample and tooling ownership terms in writing.
- For larger deposits: staged payments, inspection holds, or other controls your counsel and bank recommend.
Keep a short internal note: date of GSXT check, code used, status observed, mismatches, and the decision you made. Future you will need it when banking details change.
How Osmanth can help
If GSXT will not load for you, or you want a dated English report that ties the license, registry extract, contract name and payment beneficiary together, we can run a Supplier Background Verification. You receive labeled findings (Independently Verified / Supplier Stated / Not Verified), a source log, and the evidence files behind each point. Every job is assessed first and quoted individually — we do not publish fixed prices on this site.
Due diligence, not a guarantee: we report what we can reasonably verify, and our liability is limited to the fee paid for that service. Limitation of liability.
Need this check done and documented in English?
Send the license (or what you have) and the draft contract/PI. We will tell you what we can verify and send a written quote before work starts.
Request a tailored quote →FAQ
What is GSXT?
GSXT is the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (国家企业信用信息公示系统), the official public portal for Chinese enterprise registration and many related disclosures. The main site is www.gsxt.gov.cn.
Do I search with the English company name?
No. Search with the exact Chinese legal name or the 18-character Unified Social Credit Code from the business license. English trading names are labels, not the registry key.
Does a clean GSXT record mean the supplier is safe to pay?
No. A matching registry record confirms a registered legal identity at a point in time. It does not prove manufacturing capability, product quality, honesty, or that a bank account belongs to that company.
What if the GSXT site will not open from my country?
Treat identity as unresolved until you get an independent check. Do not accept a supplier’s undated screenshot as a substitute for a live registry result you or a trusted checker obtained.