Originally published April 5, 2017
Historical update: This article records a regulatory development from 2017. Current registry arrangements and registration requirements may differ.
In February 2017, two Chinese-language top-level domains, .在线 (Dot Chinese Online) and .中文网 (Dot Chinese Website), received approval from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The approval was an important milestone for TLD Registry Ltd., the company behind the two extensions, after years of efforts to establish a presence in China’s domain market.
A Milestone for Chinese-Language Domains
Both .在线 and .中文网 were launched internationally in 2014 as part of the expansion of new generic top-level domains.
Unlike traditional Latin-character extensions such as .COM and .NET, these internationalized domain names (IDNs) allow Chinese characters to appear directly in website addresses.
This gives Chinese-speaking internet users another way to create domain names in their own language.
The two extensions attracted early industry attention, including reports of a large domain acquisition associated with a Chinese government-related organization in 2014.
However, their development in mainland China depended on obtaining the necessary regulatory approval.
What Did the 2017 Approval Mean?
On February 10, 2017, MIIT approved the domestic registry operation associated with .在线 and .中文网.
At the time, this was an important step toward allowing websites using these extensions to operate within mainland China’s regulatory framework.
Before the approval, the lack of domestic recognition had limited their use for websites hosted in mainland China.
The approval did not, however, eliminate other applicable requirements for website operators or domain registration service providers.
Around the same period, other extensions, including .INK, also received regulatory approval, reflecting broader developments in China’s domain name industry.
Why Does This News Still Matter?
The 2017 approval illustrates an important stage in the development of Chinese-script domains and the relationship between international domain registries and China’s domestic regulatory system.
The regulatory landscape has continued to evolve since then.
MIIT’s current public records list .在线 and .中文网 under Beijing Yutonglianda Technology Co., Ltd. (北京域通联达科技有限公司), with an approval record dated March 31, 2023.
For current registry information, readers can consult the official MIIT Domain Registry Management Directory.
The significance of the 2017 announcement lies in its historical role in expanding regulatory recognition for Chinese-language domain extensions—not in establishing their registration availability or operating requirements today.
