What does your supplier’s registered capital tell you?

1. Compare 认缴 with 实缴

• 认缴 (subscribed): the amount shareholders commit to contribute. Under the general rule for limited liability companies, this is the registered-capital figure.
• 实缴 (paid-in): the recorded amount contributed. It may include non-cash assets. It does not show today’s bank balance.

Check the unit, currency and date before comparing amounts. If paid-in capital is missing, keep it marked as unavailable. Do not substitute the subscribed amount or assume zero.

2. What to ask before you order

• For a large order: ask how production will be funded. Assess finances as a separate task; review the scope of financial and legal due diligence if you need more than registry fields.
• If the amounts differ: ask about the contribution schedule. A gap between subscribed and paid-in capital does not explain whether an order can be funded.
• If the figure changed: read the date and details in the change history. Keep the source and query date in your order file.

Have your supplier’s company code? Look up its registration for free → Review the capital figure, Chinese name, status and scope returned by the source. Check the query date and any missing fields.

Follow the official registration search steps, or request a China-side record check. This guide is not legal or financial advice. Get qualified advice if contribution deadlines affect your contract.

3. Which contribution deadline applies?

For limited liability companies established from 1 July 2024: Article 47 generally requires contributions within five years of establishment. Separate requirements in laws, regulations or State Council decisions take precedence.

For earlier limited liability companies: check the remaining period as measured from 1 July 2027. If it exceeds five years, the company generally must shorten it to within five years and amend its articles by 30 June 2027.

That is a schedule-adjustment deadline, not a requirement for every earlier limited liability company to pay everything by June 2027. Joint-stock companies have different transition requirements. Specified exceptions also exist.

Check Company Law, Article 47, and the registered-capital transition rules, Article 2. The rules took effect on 1 July 2024.

4. Ask what changed if capital was reduced

A reduction can reflect an adjustment to the contribution schedule. It does not by itself establish financial distress or explain the company’s finances.

Ask for the reason, the filing date and the revised schedule. Review any status issues, enforcement records or change of legal representative alongside it. Resolve unexplained changes before relying on the supplier’s account.

Research examples: contributions and shareholders

In a 46-manufacturer sample queried on 28 August 2026, 34.8% showed paid-in capital equal to subscribed capital. 28.3% showed less; 37.0% supplied no paid-in figure. Subscribed amounts ranged from ¥100,000 to over ¥1 billion. See the sample and field definitions.

In a separate 264-manufacturer census queried on 8 August 2026, 37% showed paid-in capital below subscribed capital. The samples are different; neither gives the current position of your supplier.

The table below counts shareholders for 45 manufacturers matched to single Chinese entities from the US NHTSA list. The query date was 22 August 2026.

18 of the 44 returned shareholder records showed one shareholder. That count does not establish how much was paid in, who can accept orders or who can return deposits.

Only shareholder counts are published here. Shareholder identities are excluded. See the NHTSA manufacturer study for the sample and method.

Optional: how often registration details changed

Why the query date belongs next to the figure

How fast the official record actually moves. The registered-change logs of the same 264 specialist manufacturers, all pulled on 8 August 2026.

Velocity measure	Result
Companies with at least one registered change	264 of 264 (100%)
Amended their registration within the last 12 months	54.9%
Amended within the last 24 months	78.4%
Median lifetime changes on record	39

This table counts registration changes of all types, not capital changes alone. Use it as a reminder to date your own lookup.

Official sources

Company Law, Articles 47–48: limited liability company capital and forms of payment allowed. State Council Order No. 784, Article 2: transition schedules and exceptions.

Official texts checked 5 September 2026. Research figures retain their original query dates.

Frequently asked questions

Is a large registered capital proof that a Chinese supplier is financially strong?

No. For a limited liability company, registered capital generally records shareholders’ committed contributions. It does not show available cash or the ability to fund your order.

What did the 2024 Company Law change about registered capital?

From 1 July 2024, new limited liability companies generally have a five-year contribution period under Article 47. Earlier companies have transition rules. For affected earlier limited liability companies, 30 June 2027 is a schedule-adjustment deadline, not a universal payment deadline.

Is a capital reduction in a supplier's record a red flag?

Not on its own. Ask for the reason, filing date and revised contribution schedule. Review those alongside status changes and other records before drawing a conclusion about financial distress.

What is the difference between subscribed (认缴) and paid-in (实缴) capital?

Subscribed is the committed amount. Paid-in is the recorded contribution, which can include non-cash assets. Neither is a current bank balance. If paid-in capital is absent, mark it as unavailable.