Registering .cn is a real-name registrar process — it does not by itself authorise a China website or VATS product.
Domain registration in China (including .cn) runs through accredited registrars with real-name verification. Domains used on China-hosted sites must align with ICP filing data. Trademark and name conflicts are a separate IP track. This wiki is domain registration orientation. ICP filing explains the website link. Foreign-owned website decision covers FIE practicality. Do not treat a domain certificate as a telecom licence.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Which TLD and registrar?
Path.
RegistrarReal-name materials ready?
KYC.
KYCWill it be China-hosted?
Filing link.
HostBrand conflicts checked?
IP overlay.
IPWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Can a foreign company register .cn?
Often yes via eligible registrants/materials — registrar rules apply. Operating the site is the harder question.
Where is filing?
Open /icp-filing-in-china.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.