Please send photos and videos

Photos and videos are the universal currency of trust in Chinese supplier communication. When you cannot be there in person, which is most of the time in cross-border trade, visual evidence is the closest thing to standing on the factory floor. The phrase 请发照片和视频 (qǐng fā zhàopiàn hé shìpín) is your request for that evidence — but there is more to getting useful visuals than just asking.

Chinese suppliers are masters of the curated photo. They will send you their best angle, their best lighting, their one perfect sample. If you ask generically for photos, you will get marketing photos masquerading as production photos. The solution is specificity. Add what you actually want to see: 拍一下细节 (pāi yīxià xìjié — take a photo of the details), 拍包装 (pāi bāozhuāng — photograph the packaging), 拍标签 (pāi biāoqiān — photograph the label), or the most powerful request of all, 拍有问题的部分 (pāi yǒu wèntí de bùfen — photograph the part that has the problem). The more specific you are, the harder it is to send a generic photo that tells you nothing.

Video requests deserve special attention in Chinese supplier relationships. A video is much harder to fake than a photo, and Chinese suppliers know this. When you ask for a video, you are implicitly saying “I need to verify this is real,” and they will feel that. For this reason, video requests should be framed politely — add 麻烦 (máfan — trouble) or 方便的话 (fāngbiàn de huà — if it’s convenient) to soften the implication of distrust. The phrase 方便的话拍个视频 (fāngbiàn de huà pāi ge shìpín — if convenient, take a video) gets you the same evidence with less friction. And never underestimate the power of a WeChat video call. Chinese suppliers are often surprisingly willing to do a quick video walkthrough of the factory floor or show you products live. The phrase to request this is 方便视频看一下吗? (fāngbiàn shìpín kàn yīxià ma? — convenient to take a look via video?).

One final nuance: when a supplier sends you a photo or video unprompted, the culturally appropriate response is not silence. A simple 收到了 (shōudào le — received) or 看到了 (kàndào le — seen it) acknowledges their effort and keeps the communication warm. If you just read the message and say nothing, it feels cold from the Chinese side. The WeChat dynamic is more conversational than email — receipts are social, not just transactional.