Does WordPress Work in China?

In this article, we will walk you through some speed tests we conducted to determine if WordPress works in China or not. Our staff conducted the tests in Shanghai (China Mainland) and Hong Kong (outside Mainland China) and we used 3rd party testing tools to ensure our tests weren't biased.

By the end of this article, you should have a good understanding of WordPress and if works in Mainland China or not. Also, you can contact us to get a free speed test of your WordPress site for China.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) written in PHP. WordPress is now powering about 40% of all websites on the internet.

Does WordPress Work in China?

The short answer is no.

Below is the long answer if you want to understand why:

Most hosting providers claim to have Global coverage for your WordPress site, but actually, China is not included.
If your business didn't have any legal licenses for your site and content in China, it is operating illegally in China.

Luckily we have put together solutions for you to make your business and your WordPress site works fast and reliably in China.

Don't just take our words. Let's look at some popular websites powered by WordPress and see how well they work in China.

How do we check if a website works in China or not?

There are two checks we need to perform to conclude if a website works in China.

How fast is the site in Mainland China?
Does the website operated by the business comply with the laws in China?

The second part of the test is a must for most businesses or organizations, not optional.
If you are unsure why it's a must, read Untold facts about ICP for China, and why you should get it.

Speed Tests Results

We picked 5 websites from current WordPress Global users and considered these websites to follow the best practices powered by WordPress.

Then we follow the test questions mentioned earlier for each website and create a report with the following format:

1. A figure to see how fast the site performs across Mainland China.

This figure basically shows how fast the website loads across Mainland China (green = fast, red=slow)

2. A video to see how the site performance in China visually.

We made a screen record of the website loading in Shanghai, China. This provides you with an intuitive way to see how fast the site visually loads and understand what people in China actually experience when they visit the website.

3. A yes-no check to see if the site complied with the laws in China.

If the site passes the legal check, it's a green check. If it doesn't pass, we will tell you why it doesn't pass.

Now, let's dive into the reports for each of the selected websites using WordPress.

Gucci, www.gucci.com

Gucci is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Gucci uses their Equilibrium brand to generate positive change for people and our planet.

From our speed test, people in China will have difficulty viewing the images and opening them on Gucci Equilibrium’s website (that’s what the below figure means, red means unable to display images).

Does the Gucci's website comply with the laws in China?

No. It doesn't pass our legal check because the website does not have an ICP license displayed at the footer of their website.

If you don't know what an ICP license is, click to learn more.

Finding if a website has an ICP license is pretty straightforward, just scroll to the bottom of the page, if you see a number like this (see below Nike's websites for China), then the business behind the website has an ICP for China. If not, they don't have it. You can check if your website has it or not.

Below is an example of Nike's website in China, and its ICP number.

Similarly, we ran the same tests for the rest of the WordPress user's websites.

007, www.007.com

007 aka James Bond is a character and brand that has been adapted for television, radio, comic strip, video games and film. The 007 films are one of the longest continually running film series and have grossed over US$7.04 billion in total.

Click here to see 007's full case study and results.

Renault Group, www.renaultgroup.com

Renault Group (RNSLY) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans

Click here to see the full case study and results.

Tonal, www.tonal

Tonal is a smart home gym that uses artificial intelligence and expert-led coaching to provide strength training.

Click here to see Pfizer's full case study and results.

** Disney, www.thewaltdisneycompany.com**

The Walt Disney Company (DIS), commonly just Disney, is an American multinational entertainment and media conglomerate.

Click here to see Disney's full case study and results.

Need to Get WordPress working in China?

In short, if your business is going to China, make sure your website passes the two tests we mentioned above to have a fast speed of first load and good viewing and browsing quality for your users in China.