China’s Market Regulator Releases New Guide for Company Name Registration in China

China’s market regulator has released a new guide on company name registration in China, providing an updated explanation of the rules for choosing and registering a company name. As a key step in the incorporation in China, understanding the requirements for company names is crucial to ensuring an unimpeded registration process and avoiding the risk of rejection or disputes down the line.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), China’s market regulatory authority, has released updated guidance on choosing and registering a company name in China. This guidance provides important clarification on the rules, procedures, and compliance considerations for choosing a Chinese company name, and serves as a practical reference for both domestic and foreign investors. 

Selecting and registering a company name is a necessary step in company incorporation in China and carries legal, commercial, and reputational significance. A company name is a fixed and distinctive designation used in civil and commercial activities to represent the enterprise and distinguish it from other businesses. It also forms a core component of corporate goodwill and embodies the company’s brand value. 

This article summarizes and explains key considerations for choosing and registering a company name in China, drawing on the relevant laws, regulations, and the SAMR guidance.

Application for a company name 

Company names can be registered through the market regulatory management department in the administrative division where the company is located. The Enterprise Name Registration System will automatically conduct a comparison of the submitted name and provide an explanation of prohibitions or limitations to the use of the name, or a warning of the risks, in accordance with relevant legislation.

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For company names that don’t include administrative divisions, or those that fall under the scenarios detailed in Article 12 of the Enterprise Name Registration Management Regulations, the applicant must simultaneously look up, compare, and screen names through SAMR’s Enterprise Name Registration System and Enterprise Name Database.  

The scenarios outlined in Article 12 include those in which company names contain the characters for “China” (“中华” or “中国”) or “national” (“全国” or “国家”).  It also includes foreign companies who use the word “China” as a marker for their local subsidiaries, usually placed in parentheses following the company name (for example, Technology Co. (China)). 

The applicant can submit the relevant information and materials online through the Enterprise Name Registration System or in person through the service window at local enterprise registration agencies. They can then choose a compliant company name based on the results of search and comparison of the proposed name. The applicant must also sign an indemnity undertaking accepting full legal liability for any infringement should the chosen name be similar to that of another company name. 

Name reservation

The enterprise registration authority will reserve the company name that has been submitted through the Enterprise Name Registration System for a period of two months.  

Where a company is legally required to undergo approval in order to be established, or where a company has projects that must be approved before being registered within its business scope, the name will be reserved for one year. 

The applicant can apply for the enterprise registration authority to produce a notice of the name reservation based on its actual needs. 

The company should complete its registration before the end of the period in which the name is reserved. The reserved name cannot be used for business activities during this period.  

After the applicant has submitted the application for the registration of establishment or name change, the enterprise registration authority will grant the name registration if after review it determines that the proposed company name meets the requirements of the relevant regulations on enterprise name registration administration, as well as the relevant provisions of the Market Entity Registration Management Regulations of the People’s Republic of China. 

The registration will not be granted if the name is found not to meet these requirements, and the reasons and basis for this decision will be clearly indicated on the notice informing the applicant of the rejection. 

Rules for company names 

Permitted words and characters 

Company names must use standard Chinese characters, which can be determined by checking the General Standard Chinese Characters Table from the Ministry of Education and State Language Commission. They cannot include foreign text, pinyin, letters, Arabic numerals, traditional Chinese characters, or variant characters, except where specified in relevant laws and regulations. 

Name structure 

A Chinese company name generally must be composed of the following elements: 

Name of the administrative division + trade name + industry or business characteristics + corporate structure  

This means a name could be: 

Beijing Yangguang Information Technology Limited Liability Company (usually abbreviated as Co., Ltd.) 北京市阳光信息技术有限责任公司 

If the administrative division is placed after the trade name and before the industry or business characteristics, it must be placed in parentheses, such as in “Yangguang (Beijing) Information Technology Co., Ltd.”.  

Company names must also be compliant as a whole, not just the individual elements. The various elements together must not violate laws or regulations, be deceptive or cause misunderstandings for the general public, or infringe on other people’s legal rights. 

Name of the administrative division 

The administrative division included in the company name must be the name of the jurisdiction in which the company is located that is at or above the county level. This means it could be: 

• Counties and autonomous counties, such as Le’an County in Fuzhou, Jiangxi
• County-level cities, such as Cixi City, Zhejiang
• Prefecture-level cities, such as Suzhou, Jiangsu or Hangzhou, Zhejiang
• City districts, such as Beijing Chaoyang District or Guangzhou Tianhe District
• Autonomous prefectures, such as the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan
• Provinces, such as Zhejiang or Jiangsu
• Municipalities, either Tianjin, Chongqing, Beijing, or Shanghai
• Autonomous regions, such as Guangxi or Xinjiang
• Other special administrative divisions at above the county level, such as leagues and banners (only applicable to Inner Mongolia) 

If using the name of a city district, it should be prefixed with the name of the city, such as “Beijing Chaoyang” or “Chongqing Yubei”. 

Companies can also use the name of special areas, such as a development zone or an area of reclaimed land (垦区), but it must be used in conjunction with the name of the administrative division, for example, “Shanghai Pudong New Area”. 

Trade names 

The trade name is the part of the company name that allows for the most flexibility and creativity, as it is the name chosen by the company itself. However, trade names are also subject to certain rules and restrictions. 

The trade name must not be a generic term and must be distinctive. It should also be composed of at least two Chinese characters, which can constitute standalone characters, words, or a combination thereof.

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For instance, in the name “XX City Wodong Machinery Co., Ltd.” (某某市沃动机械有限公司), “Wodong” is distinctive (when combined, the characters for Wodong 沃动 do not have a meaning in Chinese), as it is a standalone name that cannot be confused when combined with the remaining characters. On the other hand, “XX City Power Machinery Co., Ltd.” (某某市动力机械有限公司) is not distinctive, as the term “Power” (动力) is generic, and when combined with “Machinery” can be mislead people into thinking that the company is in the power machinery industry. 

Names of administrative divisions at the county level or above, industry names, or business characteristics that have other meanings but are clearly identifiable to the public and do not imply a specific connection between the place name, industry name, or business characteristics, may be used as trade names or components of trade names. For example, the name “XX City Sunrise Dongfang Technology Co., Ltd.” (某某市日出东方科技有限公司) is permissible, despite the fact that “Dongfang” (东方), meaning “east”, is also the name of a county-level city in Hainan. As the combined “Sunrise East” has another connotation, it is considered insufficient to cause a misunderstanding. 

The personal names of legal persons and investors can be trade names, but they must comply with the relevant regulations on company name registration. 

Industry and business characteristics 

The industry or business characteristics must be indicated in accordance with the company’s main business and the National Economic Industry Classification Standards. Companies generally choose an industry based on the smallest denomination of industry listed in these standards, indicated by a four-digit code. Within the industry classification standards, industries are classified into four denominations from broadest to narrowest, such as: 

Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery (code A) → agriculture (code 01) → staple food cultivation (code 011) → grain cultivation (code 0111).  

The smallest denomination in the above case would be “grain cultivation”. 

A company that works in new energy technology could thus choose industry M7515: New energy technology promotion services (新能源技术推广服务) as the industry part of the name. 

Where these standards do not have an appropriate industry designation for the company’s business, the company can defer to expressions used within industry norms or in professional literature to choose a name. For companies that straddle multiple industries, usually the main business project within its scope will be chosen as the main business and thus be used for the company name. 

If a company changes the registration of their main business, the industry or business characteristics portion of the company name must also be changed correspondingly. 

Company structure

The company name must contain a term that is consistent with the company structure or form of liability. The term used will depend on the type of company: 

1. Corporations: Must contain the words “Limited Liability Company” (有限责任公司), “Limited Company” (有限公司), “Company Limited by Shares” (股份有限公司), or “Stock Company” (股份公司).
2. Partnerships: Must contain the words “(General Partnership)” (普通合伙), “(Special General Partnership)” (特殊普通合伙), or “(Limited Partnership)” (有限合伙).
3. Sole proprietorship enterprise: Must contain the words “Sole Proprietorship” (个人独自).

Companies cannot use any other words that could mislead the public into thinking it is another type of organization, such as “Fund”, “R&D Center”, and so on. 

Other company names 

Names of branch organizations 

Branch entities should be named after the company they belong to along with terms such as “Branch Company” (分公司), “Branch Factory” (分厂), or “Branch Store” (分店). Additionally, the name should indicate the branch’s industry and the administrative division in which it is located. If the industry or administrative division is the same as that of the parent company, then it does not need to be indicated again. However, in this case, the name should include another distinctive element to distinguish it from its parent. For instance, the branch of a company named “XX City Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd.” (某某市阳光科技有限公司) could be given a name such as: 

• “XX City Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd. First Branch”(某某市阳光科技有限公司第一分公司);
• “XX City Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd. Beijing Branch” (某某市阳光科技有限公司北京公司); or
• “XX City Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd. Tianjin Commerce and Trade Branch”(某某市阳光科技有限公司天津商贸分公司). 

Group names 

Groups are made up of its parent company, subsidiaries, and shareholding companies, as well as other member units. The parent company is a holding company that is legally registered and has obtained corporate legal person status. Subsidiaries are corporate legal persons that are either wholly owned by the parent company, or corporate legal persons in which the parent company has a controlling stake. Shareholding companies are companies in which the parent company has shares, but does not hold a controlling stake. 

Corporate legal persons that have already been registered and control three or more other corporate legal persons can be the group’s parent company and register a change in the name using the word “Group” or “(Group)” before the corporate structure. The name of the group should be submitted together with the name change registration of the parent company. 

All the components of the group’s name must be consistent with that of the parent company.  The name of a group consists of: 

Administrative division + trade name + industry or business characteristics + “Group” 

The order of these components does not change regardless of whether the administrative division name is placed at the end of the parent company’s name. 

Subsidiaries and shareholding companies authorized by the group’s parent company can include the name of the group in their name. The structure of the name of a subsidiary or shareholding company that adopts the group’s name is usually as follows: 

Group name + administrative division + trade name + industry or business characteristics + corporate structure  

When subsidiaries and shareholding companies adopt the name of the group to which they belong, they should also indicate their administrative division and industry or business characteristics. If these are the same as those in the name of the parent company, they do not need to be indicated again. However, in this case, it should also include its own trade name. If, however, it has already included one of either an administrative division, industry, or business characteristic, then it doesn’t need to include a trade name. The subsidiary or shareholding company must still include the industry or business characteristics if it is not included in the name of the group to which it belongs. 

Foreign-invested enterprise names 

Foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) or companies in which foreign investors have a controlling stake that use the trade name of the foreign investor can use the word “(China)” in the company name. These companies’ trade names should be consistent with the translation of the name of the company’s foreign investor or trade name and comply with the rules of laws and regulations. 

Comparison of identical trade names 

The use of company names should not infringe upon the prior legitimate rights and interests of others through means such as imitation or confusion.  

Under Article 17 of the Regulations on the Administration of Enterprise Name Registration, under the same enterprise registration authority, a proposed trade name should not be identical to the trade name of any of the following companies in the same industry or those that do not use industry or business characteristic descriptions: 

1. Company names that have already been registered or are within the retention period, except where there is an investment relationship;
2. Original company names that have been cancelled or changed registration for less than one year, except for those that have an investment relationship or those that have been acquired by the company; and
3. Original company names whose registration for establishment or change has been revoked for less than one year, except where there is an investment relationship. 

The “same enterprise registration authority” refers to authorities located within the same prefecture-level city administrative division. 

Article 17 of the Regulations on the Administration of Enterprise Name Registration further clarifies the situations in which the proposed trade name is identical to the trade name of a company in the same industry or a company that does not use descriptions of industry or business characteristics. Specifically, in any of the following circumstances, name applications will not be approved: 

1. The company names contain the same trade name, but the order of the administrative division, trade name, industry or business characteristics, or corporate structure differs, even as the characters are identical. For example, “Beijing Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd.” versus “Yangguang Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.”;
2. The enterprise names contain the same trade name and industry or business characteristics, but the name of the administrative division is different. For example, “Guangdong Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd.” and “Shenzhen Yanggyang Technology Co., Ltd.”, both registered in Shenzhen;
3. The company names contain the same trade name and industry or business characteristics, but the corporate structure is different. For example, “Beijing Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd.” and “Beijing Yangguang Technology Co., Ltd.”; and
4. The company names contain the same trade name and industry or business characteristics, but the substantive content is the same. For example, “Beijing Yangguang Construction Co., Ltd.” and “Beijing Yangguang Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.”. 

Meanwhile, “having an investment relationship” is defined in Article 17 of the Regulations as any of following relationships: 

1. An enterprise and its direct investor.
2. An enterprise and its investor’s investor.
3. Where the investors of the two companies are the same. 

Rules on similar company names 

The rejection of a proposed name on the grounds of similarity with another existing company name generally only applies to similarities between the names of two different companies that are in the same industry and registered with the same enterprise registration authority during the name’s retention period. This means two different companies can have similar-sounding names if they are in two distinct industries or in two distinct administrative regions (that is, they have registered with two different enterprise registration authorities).  

Where companies are in the same industry and have registered with same enterprise registration authority, the definition of similar company names includes, but is not limited to, similarities that fall under the following circumstances: 

1. The trade name contains or is contained within the trade name of a company that has the same industry description, or has a different industry description but the same content. For example: Beijing Akaikai Network Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Akai Network Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing Akaikaikai Online Information Technology Co., Ltd.
2. The trade name has the same pronunciation as the trade name of a company with the same industry description, or a different industry description but the same content. For example: Beijing Malanshan Winery Co., Ltd. and Beijing Malanshan Baijiu Co., Ltd., Beijing Malanshan Winery Co., Ltd.
3. The trade name has part of the same pronunciation as the trade name with the same industry description, or a different industry description but the same content. For example: Beijing Jinruida Building Materials Co., Ltd. and Beijing Ruidafeng Building Materials Co., Ltd., Beijing Jinruidafeng New Materials Co., Ltd.
4. The trade name is extremely similar in form to the trade name of a company, and it is likely to cause confusion to the public. The industry descriptions are the same, or the industry descriptions are different but the content is the same. For example: Beijing Taishan Commerce & Trade Co., Ltd. and Beijing Qinshan Commerce & Trade Co., Ltd., Beijing Fenggong Electric Power Engineering Co., Ltd. and Beijing Fengguan Electric Power Co., Ltd.
5. Where the name contains no industry description, or uses generic terms such as “Industrial” or “Development” instead of the standard terminology of the National Economic Industry Classification system, and where: 
   1. The distinctive element (the trade name) is identical to, included in, or includes the trade name of another enterprise of the same category;
   2. The pronunciation of the trade name is the same; and
   3. The pronunciation of the included or including part is the same.  

For example: Beijing Malanshan Co., Ltd. and Beijing Jinmalanshan Co., Ltd., or Beijing Malanshan Industrial Co., Ltd., and Beijing Malanshan Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. 

Note that if an applicant chooses a company name that is similar to a name that already has garnered a certain degree of influence, the applicant should avoid infringing on the prior legal rights of those individuals.  

A name that has already garnered a certain degree of influence refers to a distinctive trade name that enjoys high commercial reputation and influence, is familiar and known to the relevant members of the public, and is significantly distinguishable from other entities. This includes, but is not limited to, the names or abbreviations of well-known companies, universities, hospitals, and media outlets, such as “Huawei”, “Tsinghua”, and “Peking Union Medical College Hospital”. 

The following elements that could lead to similar company names should also be chosen with caution to avoid infringing on the prior legal rights of others: 

1. Modifiers such as “new”, “big”, “old”, “true”, and “of”, for example, “Beijing Sunshine Catering Co., Ltd.” versus “Beijing Old Sunshine Catering Co., Ltd.”;
2. Repeated or overlapping names, for example, “Beijing Zhenxin Catering Co., Ltd.” versus “Beijing Zhenxin Zhenxin Catering Co., Ltd.”;
3. Modifiers based on Chinese character shapes, for example, “Beijing Zhenxin Catering Co., Ltd.” versus “Beijing Yizhenxin Yi (一真心一) Catering Co., Ltd.”, where the character for “one” (“一”) is used as ornamental framing in an attempt to deceptively mimic an existing trade name;
4. Terms related to industry jargon used as part of the name, for example, “Beijing Fuli Communication Technology Co., Ltd.” versus “Beijing Fuli Connect Communication Technology Co., Ltd.”;
5. Terms related to weight or quantity used as part of the name, for example, “Beijing Yangguang Fragrant Wine Industry Co., Ltd.” versus “Beijing Two Ounce Yangguang Fragrant Wine Industry Co., Ltd.”;
6. Terms related to service locations used as part of the name, for example, “Beijing Zhenxin Catering Co., Ltd.” versus “Beijing Zhenxin Building Catering Co., Ltd.”; and
7. Words related to regional descriptions, such as “Beijing Zhenxin Catering Co., Ltd.” versus “Beijing Northern Zhenxin Catering Co., Ltd.” 

If a company applies to register a name that is similar to a prior name that has a certain influence and is likely to cause confusion, it is at risk of infringement disputes, and the registration authority may refuse to register the new name. 

Prohibited elements 

Company names may not include any content that: 

1. Is damaging to national dignity or interests;
2. Is damaging to public interests or disruptive to public order;
3. Uses or indirectly uses the names or abbreviations, specific titles, or military unit designations of political parties, government agencies, military organizations, or mass organizations;
4. Uses the names or common abbreviations or specific titles of foreign countries, regions, or international organizations;
5. Contains obscene, pornographic, gambling, superstitious, terrorist, or violent content;
6. Contains content that discriminates against ethnicity, race, religion, or gender;
7. Violates public order and good morals or potentially has other adverse effects;
8. Potentially deceives or misleads the public; and
9. Any other circumstances prohibited by laws, administrative regulations, and national provisions. 

Considerations for selecting a company name

Choosing a company name requires a clear understanding of its legal, commercial, and reputational significance. A company name is not just an identifier for civil and commercial activities; it is a core component of corporate goodwill and a carrier of brand value. Long-term success ultimately depends on comprehensive strength and accumulated reputation rather than the name itself. Companies are therefore encouraged to operate in good faith, build credibility, and respect legally protected name rights, which helps maintain fair market competition.

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From a legal perspective, company names must comply with mandatory prohibitions set out in relevant laws and regulations. Names that can be misleading to the public, cause confusion, imitate or closely resemble other influential existing names, or are obtained through false materials or fraudulent means are strictly prohibited. Companies may also not maliciously stockpile names without genuine intent to use them, nor may they occupy name resources in ways that harm public interests or disrupt public order. 

Although enterprise name registration systems provide automated checks and risk warnings, these systems are inherently limited by data coverage and technical constraints, and they cannot identify all potential legal risks. Applicants remain responsible for independently assessing the suitability of a proposed name, conducting their own searches, making informed decisions, and bearing corresponding legal liabilities. AI-based name recommendations and system prompts can only function as reference tools and do not carry legal effect.

Respecting prior legitimate rights is a fundamental requirement in name selection. Such rights include, but are not limited to, name rights, trademark rights, copyrights, and personal name rights, all of which are protected by law. Companies should conduct thorough trademark and rights searches through official channels and carry out appropriate due diligence to avoid conflicts or infringement risks. 

Proper and standardized use of language is also essential. Companies should avoid choosing names that chase a current trend, exploit current events, political topics, news, or internet buzzwords, as such names often lack distinctiveness, may create negative social impact, or be deemed as malicious applications. Registration authorities may correct such names or impose administrative penalties depending on the circumstances.

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In addition, companies have statutory information disclosure obligations. Enterprise groups must publicly disclose group names and member information, and both licensors and users of company names must disclose authorization details through the National Enterprise Credit Information System within the prescribed time limits, or face possible legal liabilities. 

For companies operating across provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities, names may omit administrative division identifiers if statutory conditions are met. However, such names do not constitute official recognition of company scale or qualifications, and companies must avoid misleading the public when using them. Where the conditions for special name elements, such as the addition of “Group” or the omission of administrative divisions or industry descriptors, change, companies must also promptly update their registered names. 

Finally, the use of a company name must remain lawful and compliant at all times. Companies must not imply associations with government funding, national strategies, or public authority, nor use superlative or misleading terms, imitate influential competitors, suggest nonprofit status inaccurately, or otherwise infringe upon prior rights through confusion or imitation.

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