A Guide to Alibaba Cloud in China

Learn how to deploy and manage Alibaba Cloud services within mainland China, including licensing requirements, performance considerations, and how to ensure full compliance with Chinese regulations.

What is Alibaba Cloud?

Alibaba Cloud (also known as Aliyun or 阿里云) is China’s largest cloud service provider, holding a 36% market share in China (as of January 2025, you can refer to the AppInChina Cloud Index for more information) and the third-largest globally. It offers IaaS and PaaS solutions, including computing, storage, networking, big data, AI, and security services.

Is Alibaba Cloud Available in China?

Yes, Alibaba Cloud is fully available in China through its domestic platform, Aliyun.com. However, it is important to note that Alibaba Cloud operates two separate infrastructures:

• AlibabaCloud.com – for international regions (e.g., Singapore, Frankfurt, Silicon Valley).
• Aliyun.com – for mainland China regions (e.g., Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai).

Due to Chinese regulatory requirements, these platforms are isolated. International users cannot directly deploy resources in Chinese mainland regions via AlibabaCloud.com. Instead, they must create a separate account on Aliyun.com using a China-based business license and local identity verification.

In addition, cross-platform resource replication between AlibabaCloud.com and Aliyun.com is not natively supported due to data sovereignty laws. Cloud services such as ECS, RDS, and OSS are confined to their respective infrastructures.

International entities who want to enter the Chinese market must:

• Create an Aliyun account with proper local documentation. This requires having a Chinese business licence, meaning international entities without an entity in China will have to open an entity or go through an agency. AppInChina can help solve this issue.
• Undergo the ICP Filing (ICP备案) process to launch public-facing applications.
• Adapt their cloud architecture to comply with the Great Firewall and other internet content regulations.

Despite the complexity, Alibaba Cloud does provide tools tailored for the Chinese market, including support for big data, AI, and enterprise-level scalability.

Alibaba Cloud is headquartered in Hangzhou and operates numerous data centres throughout China, including in:

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Shenzhen
• Hangzhou
• Chengdu
• Hong Kong (outside mainland firewall)

Its services are directly aligned with Chinese internet regulations, offering features such as:

• Built-in ICP Filing application process
• Dedicated Chinese support and documentation
• Integration with Chinese app stores, payment gateways, and messaging tools (WeChat, Alipay, etc.)

Additionally, Alibaba Cloud has localised products tailored to the Chinese market, such as SMS services using Chinese carriers, local DDoS protection, and edge node acceleration inside the Great Firewall.

Why Choose Alibaba Cloud for China?

Alibaba Cloud is a good option for the following reasons:

• Better Performance Inside the Great Firewall: Hosting on Alibaba Cloud ensures low latency, reliable uptime, and better compatibility with domestic devices and networks.
• Simplified Compliance: Alibaba Cloud helps users apply for ICP Filings directly within its platform — eliminating much of the complexity that comes with other cloud providers.
• Trusted by Local Authorities: Alibaba is seen as a trusted and compliant player in China’s cloud ecosystem, reducing the risk of service disruption due to non-compliance.

What is the Pricing?

To view full details regarding different pricing plans and details regarding discounts, you can refer to the official pricing page.

Incentives for Using Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) in China

• Startup Credits
  New users may receive up to $3,000 USD in cloud vouchers through Alibaba Cloud’s startup programmes, such as the Alibaba Cloud Startup Catalyst Program.These credits can be applied to core services like compute, storage, and security.
  
• Discounted Service Bundles
  Special pricing is available on hosting, CDN, database, and security packages—designed to help new customers deploy faster at a lower cost. https://www.alibabacloud.com/en/campaign/benefits?_p_lc=1 https://cn.aliyun.com/activity?from_alibabacloud=
• Free Trials for Key Services
  Many products, such as Elastic Compute Service (ECS) and Object Storage Service (OSS), are available with limited-time free trials to support testing and development.

What are the Compliance Requirements?

To legally host a website or app in China using Alibaba Cloud China, you must obtain:

• Internet Content Provider Filing (ICP Filing or ICP 备案) – for informational websites
• ICP Commercial License – for sites offering online services or transactions
• Public Security Bureau Filing (PSB Filing or 公安联网备案)—an additional local-level registration

Alibaba Cloud simplifies this process by:

• Offering ICP Filing application tools within the platform
• Providing step-by-step support and documentation

Any company registered with a Chinese business license in Mainland China can apply for an ICP Filing—including joint ventures, Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises (WFOE), and 100% domestically owned companies. AppInChina can help you with the application process if you do not have a company that meets these requirements.

While AWS remains popular with Western developers, Alibaba Cloud offers a more turnkey solution for deploying applications and services in China.

How AppInChina Can Help

AppInChina helps companies seamlessly deploy and manage Alibaba Cloud infrastructure in compliance with Chinese law. We provide:

• Account Setup: We help you register and verify a Chinese Aliyun account and complete the required ICP Filing process.
• Compliance: We help ensure you are compliant with local regulations such as the ICP Filing.
• Technical Support: We provide technical and regulatory guidance to ensure smooth operation within the Great Firewall.

Ready to launch in China?
Contact us to deploy your services on Alibaba Cloud — we will aid with ICP Filing, regulatory compliance and ongoing support.