Jurisdictions Hub ❯ China China Verification & Risk Requirements

Understand what information, documents and official sources you need to verify companies in China correctly. This page explains the key KYB and UBO requirements and how AsiaVerify supports your due diligence.

Overview

China’s KYB landscape at a glance

Fragmented registries, layered ownership, and language barrier China toughest markets to verify.

See Overview

Challenges

Why China is difficult to verify

Corporate data is spread across multiple systems, inconsistently, and often available only in Chinese.

Assess Challenges

Requirements

What you need for accurate KYB

Verified registry access, clear ownership visibility, structured translations, and AML signals.

Inspect Requirements

Resources

For China-focused teams

Access data sources, verification standards, and tools that help teams complete KYB, UBO, and AML checks.

Access Resources

Overview China Jurisdiction Overview

China has one of the world’s largest and most diverse corporate ecosystems, including private enterprises, state-owned entities, foreign-invested firms, and sole proprietorships. The State Administration oversees corporate registration and supervision for Market Regulation (SAMR) and its provincial branches.

Publicly available company information is mainly accessed via the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (NECIPS), China’s primary national platform for business-licence data, corporate filings, and regulatory disclosures.

This jurisdiction profile summarises the key factual elements relevant to understanding corporate information in China.

Challenges When Verifying Companies In China

Verifying companies in China requires navigating various aspects of the local registry and disclosure. These are the most common issues compliance teams encounter when assessing Chinese counterparties.

Language and Terminology Barriers

Official registry data is published entirely in Simplified Chinese, requiring accurate translation to correctly interpret legal and compliance-critical information.

Interpreting Business Scope Requirements

The business licence includes a Business scope field that defines the Activities a company is legally allowed To perform. Misinterpretation can lead To onboarding companies that are not Authorised to operate in a given sector.

Complex Corporate Structures

Ownership structures may involve Layered holdings, provincial Registrations, and state-linked Entities, making it difficult to identify Controlling parties without detailed Analysis.

No Centralised UBO Register

China does not maintain a public Register of ultimate beneficial Ownership. Ubo must be determined From shareholder disclosures, Historical filings, and related records.

Official Platform Access Difficulty

Intermittent overseas access and Chinese-language CAPTCHA checks can hinder the retrieval of official data and disrupt operational workflows.

Frequent Corporate and Regulatory Updates

Changes to business scope, legal representatives, and licence status occur frequently, making ongoing monitoring important for maintaining accurate KYB results.

Requirements For China Verification & Risk Assessment

Essential Identifiers for Companies in China

China uses a small set of core identifiers to match companies to official registry records.

Unified Social Credit Code (USCC)
China’s universal 18-digit identifier is assigned to every Registered entity. It is the primary key used across all
government systems to match and track companies.

Official Registered Name
The entity’s legal name in Simplified Chinese. This is the authoritative reference used in NECIPS and AMR records and
is required for accurate entity matching.

Registered Region
A provincial or municipal SAMR bureau supervises each company. This region determines which registry holds its
filings and historical changes.

Supporting Identifiers
Some companies list English names, industry codes or digital presence information; these may assist contextually but
are not used for formal record matching.

Common Public Documents Available in China

China publishes several standard corporate documents through its national and provincial registries, though availability varies by region and entity type.

Business Licence
China’s primary corporate record. It lists the USCC, the legal representative, the registered address, and the permitted
business activities.

Annual Report
Filed annually and publicly available through NECIPS. Reports include core operational details, compliance disclosures,
contact information, and changes in business activity.

Shareholder & Equity Filings
Public disclosures detailing shareholders, equity contributions, ownership movements and historical changes.

Sector-Specific Licences
Additional regulatory approvals for industries such as finance, logistics, education, healthcare and food services.

Historical Change Records
Updates filed with authorities showing past adjustments to address, business scope, registered capital or legal
representative.

Official Sources of Corporate Information

Corporate information in China is published across national, provincial and sector-level platforms maintained by government authorities.

NECIPS
The central public registry containing business-licence data, corporate filings, operational status and administrative penalties.

Provincial & Municipal AMR Platforms
Local SAMR portals, where filings may appear earlier or include region-specific details.

Industry Regulators
Authorities overseeing finance, transportation, education and other sectors publish additional licensing and compliance information.

Judicial & Enforcement Databases
Separate public systems providing court rulings, enforcement actions and disqualification records related to companies or individuals.

Resources Compliance Insights, Explained

Guides, updates and analysis to support KYB and risk decisions.

Featured

How to Verify a Chinese Company: A Step-by-Step Guide

7 March 2025

Recent Resources

Understanding China’s Beneficial Ownership Filing: A Guide for Businesses

Learn how China’s new UBO filing rules affect risk, transparency, and due diligence processes

Merchant verification in the fast-lane

Speed up merchant KYB without cutting corners—learn how real-time tools reduce onboarding risk

Birketts LLP Partners with AsiaVerify for China & Hong Kong KYB

Birketts LLP partners with AsiaVerify to deliver real-time business verification in China and Hong Kong

Navigating APAC’s Unique KYB, UBO & KYC Challenges

Uncover the KYB, UBO, and KYC compliance complexities that global teams face in the APAC region

Solutions How AsiaVerify Supports Compliance and Onboarding in China

China’s verification requirements are complex and fragmented. AsiaVerify centralises KYB, UBO, and AML checks into a single secure workflow, reducing manual effort and enabling teams to access accurate registry data in seconds.

China Registry & Key People Instant official data

Real-time Registry Connection

AsiaVerify connects directly to NECIPS and official SAMR registry sources to retrieve live company status, registration data, and historical filings — ensuring information is current, accurate, and authoritative.

Directors & Shareholders Data

Official registry records are normalised and presented in English-ready reports, allowing teams to review legal representatives, directors, shareholders, and change histories without translation delays.

Auto Docs & AI Translation Fast retrieval, no manual work

Automated Document Retrieval

Business licences, governance documents, and filing records are automatically fetched from official sources, reducing back-and-forth and streamlining document collection.

AI-assisted Translation & Normalisation

Chinese-language registry data is translated, structured, and normalised to align with international KYB standards, reducing misinterpretation of business scope, entity types, and regulatory indicators.

UBO Mapping & AML Checks See owners and screen risk

UBO Mapping & Ownership Analysis

AsiaVerify reconstructs ownership layers using disclosed shareholder details and historical filings, helping teams identify controlling individuals and entities across multi-tiered structures.

AML & Sanctions Screening

Entities, shareholders, and legal representatives are screened against sanctions, enforcement lists, and adverse media to support AML and CTF obligations across APAC.

API Access & Live Monitoring Scale KYB and track changes

API, portal and bulk access

Teams can integrate real-time verification through API, run checks on-demand in the portal, or process high volumes via bulk upload — ensuring KYB workflows match operational needs.

Ongoing monitoring & alerts

AsiaVerify continuously monitors changes to business status, registered details, shareholders, scope, and penalties, alerting teams when regulatory or structural changes occur.