WHAT 股东 MEANS
What 股东 means
Shareholder status carries both rights and obligations. Typical rights include voting, information access and profit participation, while obligations include making capital contributions and complying with the articles and company law.
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Why the role matters
Cross-border deals often confuse the registered shareholder, the actual controller and the ultimate beneficial owner. They are different concepts and can point to different people.
CONTEXT
Where you see the term
ContextWhat it means there
Shareholder registerRecords shareholder status and contribution details.
Shareholders’ meetingVoting rights are exercised here.
M&A diligenceOwnership, contribution and encumbrances are checked.
TRANSLATION NOTE
文/A
Translation note
“Shareholder” is normally correct for 股东. In an LLC context, “equity holder” may appear in transaction documents but should not replace the statutory label.
AUTHORITY
Primary legal basis
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Example
A Hong Kong company is recorded as the shareholder of a Shanghai subsidiary, while a different natural person is identified as the group’s actual controller.
SOURCES AND REVIEW
Primary authorities.
18 Sep 2026
OFFICIAL SOURCESUPPORTSCHECKED
PRC Company Law (2023 revision)
The law addresses the shareholder register, information rights and shareholder-meeting powers.
MAINTAINED BYChina Legal Portal Editorial
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