If you are planning or already working with Chinese environments, you may already notice that there are many regulations and laws that you need to consider when landing in China. One of those topics is ICP.
We have created a FREE course with the objective to cover everything you need to know related to ICP. When finishing the course, you will be able to answer following questions: What is an ICP, why do I need an ICP, how to apply for an ICP, which types of ICPs there are, what are the requirements, and so on.
Course Outline
Here is course outline divided in 15 sections:
- What is an ICP?
- What are the ICP types?
- Why do I require an ICP?
- Can I avoid getting an ICP?
- Who can apply for an ICP?
- Who issues an ICP?
- Cost of obtaining an ICP?
- What is the validity period of an ICP?
- Where should I place ICP’s number?
- What are the requirements to apply for an ICP?
- Which ISP or CSP to choose?
- What is the application process?
- Can an ICP number be revoked?
- FAQs
- Contact
1. What is an ICP?
ICP is short for Internet Content Provider. It is a permit issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China that allows websites to operate in China.
The ICP numbers for Chinese websites can often be found on the bottom of the front webpage. The ICP numbers typically look like 京ICP证123456号 or 京ICP备12345678号
2. What are the ICP types?
Two types of ICP licenses are issued by MIIT: ICP Filing and ICP License.
- ICP Filing is for non-commercial websites. It is also known in Chinese as “ICP Bei’An”, an ICP filing is required for websites that are purely informational and do not engage in online retail activities. If you want to sell goods via your website, then you will need the commercial ICP license.
- ICP License is for commercial websites. It is also known as “ICP Zheng” in Chinese. An ICP license is required for websites that engage in online retail activities. This license allows you to sell goods and accept online payment from users in Mainland China.
3. Why do I require an ICP?
While a website hosted outside of China may be browsed or transacted in China. Therefore, China’s tight internet regulations mean there is a relatively high risk of it being blocked or restricted. If this happens, not having gone through ICP certification means trying to rectify the problem is almost impossible as your site will not be recognised by Chinese authorities.
Empirical evidence shows that during big events, government conferences or nationwide celebrations, the Great Firewall tends to tighten restrictions on websites hosted outside of China. This prompts slow load speeds, even if the website is free of prohibited content.
Therefore, going through the ICP certification process and hosting your Chinese website on local servers provides the benefit from a regular, smoother site load speed, giving you a long-term, sustainable, competitive advantage over your international competitors in China.
A website that has not obtained an ICP filing or ICP commercial license is prohibited from providing non-commercial or commercial Internet information services and the domain and the website will be blocked in China. Therefore, all websites that provide services to Mainland China must first obtain an ICP filing and apply to the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) via their hosting provider.
Acquiring an ICP license is a legal requirement in China to operate a website in mainland China.
Having an ICP license also allows you to access a Chinese content delivery network. You can also get hosting services in China with an ICP license, which allows you to have a faster-loading website.
Ultimately, having an ICP license allows you to have a better-performing website so that customers take your business more seriously.
Want to get more answers to your questions?
You can find out the complete course for FREE here: /product/chinese-icp/
About Roopu Cloud
If you have any questions or concerns about China, you can contact us. We are experts in building and implementing cloud solutions in the Chinese cloud platforms. Let us help you!
