With Chinese-language websites expected to begin using a new .中國 domain later this year, brand owners who need to reach Chinese internet users have a cheap and efficient tool to reach Chinese consumers. Jannik Skou reports.

The double-digit growth in China’s economy is reflected in the rapid growth of internet users in China. The number of internet users in China has reached an astonishing 384 million, of which 233 million (or 60%) are accessing the internet via their mobile phones. In fact, each fourth global internet user is now Chinese, and thanks to the heavy investments in 3G services, last year’s growth rate of 29.8% is expected to continue for years to come. Chinese people simply love their mobile phones and PCs to such an extent that TV is no longer the most popular entertainment and information channel.

In other words, to reach Chinese consumers or business partners, you need to be available and easily accessible on the internet. That means: Chinese websites with Chinese content using .cn domain names.

As more than 60% of Chinese internet users access the internet via mobile phones, having the right Chinese domain names and wireless key word has become more vital than ever. Mobile internet users, especially those that are still unfamiliar with the internet, are more likely to search on the internet by guessing on a domain name (direct navigation) containing the company name and the service they look for or simply stating a generic term, describing what they are looking for. The broadband speed in China lacks behind the speed in Europe. The slow speed causes impatience for Chinese mobile internet users. Instead of waiting for a search engine result and then having to choose from multiple links, many users simply type in a domain name or a wireless key word to save time and money when searching on the internet.

Until December 14, 2009, registering a domain name in China was a straightforward process of submitting an online application form with your preferred registrar and paying for the domain name with your credit card. A few minutes later, your .cn domain name – provided it was available – would be successfully registered and ready to use.

This is no longer the case!

New strict regulations for registering .cn domain names As of December 14, 2009, the Chinese domain name registry authority, CNNIC, which is under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), has significantly restricted the rules for registering domain names under .cn.

Since December 14, the following rules apply:

? Only Chinese companies can register .cn domain names. If you have a subsidiary in China in which you have a majority ownership, you still qualify to register .cn domain names, as long as your Chinese subsidiary is the registrant of the .cn doman names and as long as you insert a Chinese citizen as the contact person for the registration.

? CNNIC requires the following documents: - Application form with business seal of the applicant company - Copy of business certificate in China (plus a “Certificate of Organization Code”) - Copy of passport of registrant contact person in China (must be a citizen of China) These documents are to be submitted within five days of the electronic application submission by your domain name registrar; otherwise the application will be cancelled, and you would have to start over by filling in and sealing a new application form, and by having your registrar submit a new registration request to CNNIC resubmitting the necessary documents.

At this moment, it is uncertain when MIIT/CNNIC will again allow foreign enterprises to register .cn domain names. According to .cn accredited registrar Key-Systems, CNNIC has explained the necessity to stop foreign companies and organizations from registering .cn domains by referring to the fact that they have no procedure at hand for validating foreign business certificates and contact person ID. CNNIC says they are still working on a solution that will enable them to validate these non-Chinese registrant data. However, since mid-January, foreign companies have not been allowed to register .cn domain names.

.cn domain names through your international registrar, as long as your subsidiary in China is the registrant of the .cn domain name. After a short period in January, where CNNIC, due to an immense workload related to the validation of the required documents (CNNIC has had to hire a staff of 600 people just to validate domain name registrations), were not accepting any registrations from foreign registrars at all, this is now possible again.

What happens to my .cn domain name that I have registered before December 14, 2009?

As to domain names registered prior to December 14, 2009, according to Key-Systems, so far CNNIC has not given any indication that they will apply the same restrictions in terms of demanding local presence or providing copies of business certificates or the like. However, as CNNIC has just recently with only two days notice implemented such drastic changes, you are advised to ask your current registrar to keep an eye on the developments in the .cn regulations, as it may happen that they will require a transfer of ownership or a registrant update to a Chinese company.