Passport and manual in Chinese: what to require in Russian

The passport and the operating manual are part of the delivery, not a favor from the plant. Ask for them before shipment and write them into the contract: contents, language, format. A Chinese plant usually supplies documents in Chinese and English. For some equipment in Uzbekistan the law requires documents, or particular information, in the state language. This is stated directly, for example, in the technical regulation on pressure equipment (boilers, vessels) and in the technical regulation on low-voltage electrical equipment. A Russian translation for mechanics is not named by the law in these two regulations: it is ordered in the contract.

Passport and manual: what is the difference

A passport without a serial number describes the model, not your unit. The number in the passport must match the number on the nameplate.

What the law requires in Uzbekistan

We did not find a general rule that "all documents for any equipment must be in the state language". The requirements are in technical regulations for particular kinds of product. The list is kept by the Uzbek Agency for Technical Regulation.

Two examples that we read in the primary source:

• Pressure equipment (boilers, vessels, pipelines, valves). The technical regulation approved by CMR Resolution No. 493 of 04.08.2025 requires technical documents to be presented in the state language and, at the customer's request, with a translation into other languages. The regulation lists what the passport of a boiler, vessel, pipeline and valve must contain, and what the operating manual must contain.
• Low-voltage equipment (50 to 1000 V AC). The technical regulation approved by CMR Resolution No. 216 of 09.04.2025 requires that in the technical documentation, marking and labels the name, address and telephone numbers of the enterprise are in the state language. Versions in other languages are allowed in addition.

For other equipment, lifting equipment, machine tools, a whole line, look for the regulation or rules for your kind of product and check them on the day of import. Requirements change: a reform of technical regulation is under way and regulations come out one after another.

The plant's documents are also needed for conformity assessment: a declaration or certificate. Which exactly depends on the product code and the regulation. In detail, see the article on certificates.

What to ask the plant for before shipment

1. A passport for every unit with the serial number and date of manufacture.
2. An operating manual: installation, start-up, maintenance, safety.
3. Diagrams: electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic. For a line, the general diagram and the diagrams of each machine.
4. A list of spare and wear parts with numbers from the plant's catalog.
5. Controller programs and VFD parameters, if there are any. Without them, after a unit is replaced the line will have to be set up again.
6. Documents for conformity assessment: test reports and certificates the plant holds.
7. Language and format: in which language each document is, on paper or electronic, and whether the file is editable.

The documents that the regulation requires in the state language are usually not produced by a Chinese plant. They are prepared from the plant's documents. So the plant must send the full set in advance, not in the box with the equipment.

Chinese, English, Russian: what is enough

Large plants usually have an English version. For selecting spare parts and talking to the plant it is often enough. The Chinese version can be fuller than the English: it keeps tolerance tables, notes and diagrams that are abridged in the English. If the versions differ, ask the plant to state which one is the main one.

A Russian translation is needed by the people who will work on the equipment. If the regulation does not name it, the law does not require it, but it can be written into the contract. The contract should then state which documents are translated, who is responsible for the accuracy of the translation, and what to do if the translation has an error.

How to check the documents received

• The serial number in the passport matches the nameplate.
• The model and version in the passport match the contract: voltage, power, dimensions.
• All diagram sheets are there, and the component numbers on the diagram match the marking in the cabinet.
• The names and numbers of parts in the parts list match those on the parts.

International standards for manuals

Two international standards describe how to write a manual. ISO 20607:2019 covers the part of a machine manual that concerns safety: residual risks, structure, presentation. IEC/IEEE 82079-1:2019 gives general rules for preparing information for use for products of any size, from simple ones to turnkey plants. A reference to them can be put into the contract as a requirement for the quality of the manual. They do not become mandatory in Uzbekistan because of that.

How we do it

• We agree the set of documents, language and format with the plant in writing, before production.
• We receive the passport, manual and diagrams before shipment and check the serial number and version against the contract.
• We request the documents for conformity assessment and import permits from the manufacturer in advance; the paperwork is on our side.