Technically yes, but around 93% of WordPress sites are slow or broken and on average drop 44% of their resources when accessed from Mainland China.
Why are WordPress sites slow or broken in China?
Two core issues: code-based incompatibilities (third-party plugins and resources that call blocked, restricted, or slow-performing domains like Google Fonts, YouTube, social scripts, etc.) and infrastructure limitations (global CDNs & offshore hosting can add latency due to geographical distance from visitors in mainland China).
WordPress.com, the hosted platform, is blocked in China, meaning websites hosted on this WordPress domain are also inaccessible in China. WordPress.org software is accessible in China so users can download the software to create a website and self-host or use a third-party hosting provider.
Will hosting my WordPress site inside China fix the problem?
Onshore hosting can reduce the physical distance between the user and the server, but proximity without compatibility is like a super-highway to a roadblock. This means if third-party resources remain incompatible, the site will still under-perform without additional optimizations.
Note: Some businesses may still require local hosting and an ICP license depending on their operations and business needs. For those, Chinafy can support onshore configurations. Always consult your legal/compliance team as needed.
An ICP filing or license is legally required only if you opt for mainland China hosting or use a China-based CDN where ICP compliance is mandatory. This requirement applies to any website that is physically hosted within China or utilizes China-based infrastructure - regardless of the CMS or site-building platform being used.
Does adding a China CDN solve WordPress performance issues?
A China-based CDN can improve loading speeds as static assets will be delivered from a node closer to the end user. However, as with onshore hosting, a China CDN only solves part of the problem with cross-border China web performance. A CDN does not handle for third-party resources, which are often the primary technical reason why a site performs poorly in mainland China.
How can I test my WordPress site’s performance from China?
You can test your site's performance using Chinafy’s グローバル・スピード・テスト または ビジュアル・スピード・テスト to compare load times, TTFB and third-party resources inside vs. outside China.
Which plugins/resources cause issues, and what are China-friendly alternatives?
Heavy plugins that pull Google services (e.g., Yoast, WP Rocket, Wordfence) can be particularly problematic when accessed from China, however, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of resources that have incompatibility issues (meaning they may take a long time to load or fail to load at all) in China and the way they work differs and evolves over time, so there is no one-off list or means to edit these resources. Changes will likely have to be made on an ongoing basis.
How does Chinafy optimize Wordpress sites for China?
- Generates a version of your website for China visitors without affecting your current site.
- Combines both in-person and platform-level features to detect and replace blocked or slow resources that cause loading delays.
- If you're hosting offshore, Chinafy routes China-IP-based traffic to the China-optimized version of your site. If you're already hosting onshore, all your traffic will see the optimized version for China visitors.
- Chinafy then keeps your China-optimized site in sync with your global one, so any content changes are reflected accordingly.
Fill out the form and one of our Chinafy team members will reach out to you within 1 business day to book an initial call or with a plan for next steps.
check30%-40% faster compared to using a CDN alone.
checkVerifiable results in just 2 weeks, instead of 1-2 years.
checkLittle to no action required from your IT teams.