Overseas service is a court channel, not a PDF in WhatsApp — plan months, not days.
When the defendant is outside Mainland China, the court generally serves through treaty (including Hague Service Convention where it applies), diplomatic channels, or other Civil Procedure Law methods. China has reservations on some Hague methods — do not assume postal service is valid. Email or WeChat may support contact; they rarely complete service by themselves. Announcement service is exceptional. Bad service is how default judgments get undone. This page is the service concept; it does not reprint the current Hague reservation list.
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.
Do you have a usable foreign address?
Without it, channels stall.
AddressIs a treaty channel open?
Hague vs bilateral vs diplomatic.
TreatyWhat did the PRC court actually order?
The court, not the party, serves.
OrderIs announcement even available?
Last resort, strict facts.
NoticeWorking 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 my lawyer serve them in California?
US process-server habits do not replace PRC judicial assistance. Coordinate with the Chinese court.
How long?
Often many months. Build it into the case plan.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.