A Brief History of Internet and Domain Administration in China

The policies, rules, and regulations that oversee domain names in China are referred to as the “Administration of China Internet Domain.” A version of this administration can be dated back to 2004 when the responsibilities and roles for Internet root servers, registries, registrars, registrants, website operators, and more were not specific enough to support the Internet operation as it is now.  

As the Internet has developed rapidly over the past decades, domain name registration has also seen a huge growth in volume. The launch of ICANN’s New gTLD Program in 2012 saw hundreds of new generic top-level domains enter the market, providing more unique and specified internet spaces for users across the globe.

In 2017, driven to answer the needs of this ever-changing environment, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, MIIT, published an updated “Administration of China Internet Domain,” in which it set the requirements and rules for all parties whose functions related to the Internet and domains.

On November 1st,  2017,  the updated “Administration of China Internet Domains” went into effect. As part of this administration, websites, apps, and their operators are required to receive their MIIT license, otherwise known as an ICP filing, to operate within the People’s Republic of China (PRC). MIIT and all of China’s provincial communication administrations have been working with registries and local registrars to help them understand the detailed requirements for receiving their MIIT licenses.

Changes to the “Administration of China Internet Domain”: Impacts on the Domain Sector

The changes to the administration are maximal as they relate to the domain sector, namely impacting registries, registrars, and registrants. As previously mentioned, the most important change is that registries and registrars are both required to apply for an MIIT license before they can launch an online business or site in China.

Websites can only resolve in China when the domain user and site operator are in compliance with MIIT and they maintain an Internet Content Provider Recordal (ICP Recordal). So, what does that mean exactly?

Understanding MIIT License Requirements for Registries, Registrars, and Registrants

To achieve and maintain compliance, domain names used in mainland China must be licensed TLDs. As of November 2024, 159 TLDs have been approved for an MIIT license, like legacy TLDs .com and .net, some ccTLDs such as .co and .cc., new gTLDs like .shop and .club, and .Brand gTLD .jpmorgan. Similarly, domains must be registered through a licensed registrar, like Markmonitor China Registrar. Currently, there are 113 licensed registrars in China. The latest updates and requirements are on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s website.

Applying for your MIIT license can be complex — know that Markmonitor is here to assist you. The application requires that the applicant provide an operational background brief, an explanation of operational team structures and policies, details on technical system deployments, and more. Domain operators must work with a licensed registrar to receive their MIIT license, or they risk websites and apps that don’t resolve, or that can be pulled down at any time.

Registries and registrars are also subject to MIIT license requirements, and their application process is similar, although only the registry license application is directly sent to and reviewed by MIIT. The registrar license is sent to one of the Provincial Communication Administrations under MIIT for review and approval.

There are a number of requirements for registries and registrars to operate within China, though the following requirements are critical:

  • Both registry and registrar should maintain a legal entity within mainland China
  • Their technical system servers must be located within mainland China
  • They must implement real-name verification
  • Personal information must be maintained within mainland China
  • Sharing and uploading of business data
    • Registries and registrars must send their business data on a daily and weekly basis to sync with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), a scientific research body that’s subordinate to MIIT.
    • Registries and registrars must always be ready to take necessary actions on domains, like deletion or suspension, based on instruction given by CAICT.

Due to the complexity of the MIIT license requirements and the unique circumstances of many registry and registrar entities, it can sometimes take months or even years before a license is successfully obtained.

Real-Name Verification Policy: Submit Accurate Data

For domain registrants, the most critical change to be mindful of is that, due to the real-name verification policy, providing a valid certificate of identification is mandatory when registering a domain name with an MIIT-licensed registrar.

  • For individual registrants: A Chinese national ID is the preferred form of identification
  • For companies or organizations: A certificate of incorporation, such as a business license, is required

If the personal identification information is submitted incorrectly or the provided data doesn’t match what is held in China’s authoritative database, the verification will fail, which may result in the failure of the domain registration.

Why is Maintaining MIIT Compliance Important for Everyone in China’s Domain Ecosystem?

You’ll need a website if your brand has plans in the Chinese market. For that website to maintain compliance and resolve, you’ll need two things: a domain name and an ICP recordal.

With all of the regulations and policies in place, if you need a domain name in China, it’s important that you ensure your domain is operated by an MIIT-licensed registry and registered via a licensed registrar like Markmonitor China. If not, your domain risks non-compliance with MIIT regulations.

Filing an ICP recordal is mandatory for Internet Content Operators in China — having this recordal is mandatory to use your domain for a live website or app. When visiting websites from mainland China, there is a string of numbers that appear toward the middle on the bottom of every site that start with “ICP备”— this is proof of the site’s ICP recordal that indicates it’s operating within compliance. ICP recordals are designed to track and monitor the behaviors and performances of the various Internet Content Operators operating within mainland China. People can also report any malicious information found on websites, and MIIT will quickly reach out to the responsible parties and take appropriate action on the site.

The bottom line is this: If you aren’t operating in compliance with MIIT regulations and working with MIIT-licensed registries and registrars, you risk not being able to operate a site in mainland China and not connecting with your market there.

These regulations and requirements have been established for 7+ years. MIIT, provincial administrations, registries, registrars, and domain registrants are all still learning and accumulating experiences, but they have adapted well to the policies that have been implemented. All the previously mentioned parties have been collaborating well.

Markmonitor is Here to Help You Maintain Domain Name Compliance in Mainland China

Compliance has always been a priority for Markmonitor.

Beginning in November 2017, Markmonitor undertook the necessary steps to research and prepare to receive a registrar license in mainland China. It was a long, complex process, but after two years of communication, effort, and compliance, Markmonitor succeeded in designing its own China Registrar that passed the MIIT inspection and has had its registrar license to operate in mainland China since 2020 and launched Markmonitor China Registrar in 2021. As the first fully licensed and foreign-owned registrar in mainland China, we are delighted to help our clients manage their global domain portfolio, among other services, especially in such a large, important market.

If you have any questions about domain registration policies in China or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact the Markmonitor team — we’re here to help.