Does Docker Hub Work in China?
What is Docker Hub?
Essential for DevOps, Docker Hub is a cloud-based repository service provided by Docker for storing, sharing, and managing Docker container images. It allows developers to access a vast library of pre-built images, create their own images, and collaborate with teams by pushing or pulling images for deployment.
Is Docker Hub Available in China?
Accessing Docker Hub directly from China is slow and often unreachable. If you pull a public image from Docker Hub on a cloud instance in the China region, you will get the following error:
Docker Hub has been restricted due to U.S. export control policies, as Docker updated its terms of service to prohibit entities in the U.S. “Entity List” from accessing its services. This makes Docker Hub unavailable to certain users, particularly those in countries or organisations under U.S. export restrictions.
While Docker’s open-source software remains unaffected, Docker Hub, as a commercial service, faces limitations for specific users. Additionally, past security issues with malicious images on Docker Hub may have contributed to concerns about its use, prompting alternatives like domestic registry mirror service.
| Stage | Time Node | Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Ban | August 2020 | Docker updated its terms, prohibiting “Entity List” users from accessing commercial services. |
| Official Website Access Restricted | Mid-May 2023 | The hub.docker.com website became inaccessible, with partial restrictions on image pulling. |
| Complete Failure of Image Sources | Early June 2024 | Major domestic image registries were required to shut down, and free acceleration services were terminated. |
How Can AppInChina Help?
To ensure reliable access to popular public images on Docker Hub and Google Container Registry (GCR), AppInChina recommends the following 2 solutions:
- Docker Hub Mirror: Deploy a self-hosted Docker Hub mirror (run a Docker registry as a pull-through cache) in a cloud region close to China (such as AWS Hong Kong or Singapore). Use this proxy server to pull required Docker images as needed.
- Harbor Project: Set up a self-hosted Harbor server in a nearby cloud region (AWS Hong Kong or Singapore). Harbor not only provides Docker Hub mirror capabilities but also supports other major public image registries such as GCR and offers a range of advanced features.
Choosing AppInChina’s managed Harbor solution eliminates the complexity of setup, maintenance, and security management, allowing teams to focus on development rather than infrastructure. Our one-stop managed solution offers higher availability, automated upgrades, and professional support, ensuring reliable and efficient image management at scale.
AppInChina offers a free-tier Harbor service plan for all existing clients. Additional advanced plans are also available to meet different needs. Please contact us for more information.
Apart from Docker Registry, other open-source solutions for self-hosted image registries include:
Major cloud providers in China also offer their own managed container registry services, including Amazon Elastic Container Registry (Amazon ECR), Azure Container Registry (Azure ACR) ,Tencent Cloud Container Registry (Tencent TCR), and Alibaba Cloud Container Registry (Aliyun ACR).
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AppInChina not only provides professional publishing services for your systems or apps in China but also focuses on proactively identifying and resolving potential technical challenges. There are many issues on the Chinese internet similar to the inaccessibility of Docker Hub. The experienced AppInChina team looks forward to working with you. Contact us to get started!