How do you advertise in China as a foreign company?

One guide that still surfaces for this query dates from 2016 and covers only Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent.²²

Newer guides mostly come from firms selling one route, so each tells only part of the story.

This one lines up the main paid channels by who can actually buy them. It’s part of our guide on how to find Chinese customers. A disclosure: we don’t sell ads, and we do sell organic work.

How do you advertise in China?

Work from access to budget, in this order. Each step can stop the plan, so don’t fund an account until the first three are done.

1. Check your sector. Some categories are reported closed to overseas advertisers,⁶ and others need official review before publishing.¹⁷
2. Find your route. Ask an authorized partner which entity will hold the account, and get the answer in writing.
3. Prepare the destination. Build a Chinese page or store that the platform will accept and that loads from China.
4. Review your claims. Check every claim, image and endorsement against Chinese rules, not your global copy.
5. Open and fund the account. Guides describe prepaid balances,⁵⁶⁷ so hold back most of your budget at first.
6. Run a small test. Count enquiries or sales, not impressions, and set up measurement before the first click.

This order is our reasoning, not a tested method. No source we read compares launch sequences for foreign companies.

1. 1Check your sector
2. 2Find your route
3. 3Prepare the destination
4. 4Review your claims
5. 5Open and fund
6. 6Run a small test

Which ad platforms can a foreign company use?

Most of them, usually through a Chinese entity or partner. We couldn’t read official admission rules for the major platforms, so this table rests on third-party guides.

Only Apple’s rules came from the platform itself.

Platform	Sells	Without a Chinese entity	Evidence
Baidu	Search ads	Through an authorized local agent 8	Consistent, hosting disputed
Douyin, via Ocean Engine	Short video, search	Non-Chinese licenses accepted in limited industries 5	One guide, citing platform rules
Douyin, via Qianchuan	Store promotion	A cross-border route is described, but two platform pages disagree on whether it’s open 10	Weak
WeChat, via Tencent Ads	Moments, Channels, search	Overseas route or Chinese partner 6	Guides differ on the steps
Xiaohongshu, via Juguang	Feed and search ads	Disputed 71011	Weak
Bing, via Microsoft Advertising	Search ads	Unclear 1314	Weak
Tmall, JD	Marketplace ads	Needs a store on the platform first 10	One agency
App Store, via Apple Ads	App promotion	Business and app approved first, with an extra form for customers in mainland China 15	Official, silent on foreign firms

The last column matters as much as the third. Treat anything marked weak as a question for a partner, not an answer.

This table isn’t exhaustive. Nanjing Marketing Group’s guide also covers 360 Search, Sogou, Weibo, Bilibili and Zhihu.²³ We didn’t check foreign access on those, so put them to your partner too.

Three platforms need a closer look, because the sources openly clash.

Xiaohongshu. This is the most tangled case.

• AppInChina says, in October 2026, that foreign entities can’t run ads through Juguang.⁷
• E-Commerce China Agency says an overseas advertiser contracts with Redbook Holdings and appoints a mainland agent when asked.¹⁰
• MenuSifu, which calls itself an authorized agent for North America, says self-service ended on February 2, 2026, and access is by invitation through authorized partners.¹¹
• iClick, which announced itself as an official overseas advertising partner in 2023,¹² says that since February overseas brands can’t self-submit qualifications and need an invited review through a partner.²⁴

The last two sell that access and cite no notice. We found no Xiaohongshu notice that settles this. Read Xiaohongshu for foreign businesses for the account side.

Tencent. AppInChina gives two routes: verify an overseas Official Account and apply for admission, or use a Chinese entity or agency.⁶

The same guide says overseas companies can’t complete company verification alone.⁶ E-Commerce China Agency says Tencent simply sends foreign clients to customer service.¹⁰

So start from the WeChat guide, and don’t plan around an account you haven’t confirmed.

Bing. Microsoft says InMobi handles sales and billing for customers in mainland China.¹³ That post concerns marketers in China, not foreign firms targeting Chinese users.

The Egg says running campaigns from overseas is possible, but names local entity registration and payment as hurdles.¹⁴ It sells that local help. We found no Microsoft page on this.

Bing still deserves a question to your partner. It held 21.69% of the search traffic StatCounter measured in October 2026, against 49.00% for Baidu.²⁰

Which route fits your business?

Your sector often decides this before your budget does. The table reads the guides above against common cases. It’s our reading, and each row needs confirming.

You sell	First route to ask about	Known limit
Consumer goods through a cross-border store	Ocean Engine, marketplace ads	Douyin ads must generally lead to an approved cross-border store 5
Software or retail, no store	Tencent’s overseas route	Listed as permitted categories 6
Android app or game	Check before planning	Ocean Engine reported as barring overseas advertisers’ Android download campaigns for foreign-published apps since February 12, 2026 5
iOS app	Apple Ads	Business and app approval, plus licenses by content, in some categories an ICP filing or telecom license 15
Tourism	Tencent, or Ocean Engine for outbound tourism	Tourism listed as permitted on Tencent’s route 6. Outbound tourism is case by case at Ocean Engine, with directed admission and extra review 5
Education	Case by case	Most education is restricted or excluded on Tencent’s route 6. Case by case at Ocean Engine 5
B2B service	Baidu through an agent	Landing page rules are disputed 8
Healthcare, real estate, legal, finance	Local adviser first	Restricted or excluded on Tencent’s route 6

B2B firms should weigh channels outside ads as well. See B2B marketing in China.

If you’re still deciding between paid and unpaid channels, start with which channel comes first.

Where is China’s ad money going?

Online, while Baidu’s main ad line shrinks and Tencent’s grows. SAMR’s 2025 data covers public institutions and larger companies, so it isn’t the whole market.¹

Measure	Figure	Change
All advertising revenue, 2025	RMB 2.05 trillion 1	+32.6% 2
Internet advertising revenue, 2025	RMB 1.36 trillion, 66.2% of the total 1	+34.6% 1
Internet share of media ad publishing, 2025	89.1% 1	Not given

In Q2 2026, Tencent’s marketing revenue rose 22% to RMB 43.6 billion, and Baidu’s online marketing revenue fell 19% to RMB 13.1 billion.³⁴

These figures show where sellers earn money, not where a foreign company will get a buyer. Our digital marketing overview sets the two side by side, and sets ads against the other channels.

What do you need to open an account?

Expect a company file, proof of your right to use the brand, and a page that matches both. AppInChina lists what platforms commonly ask for:⁹

• A business license or foreign company registration documents
• Evidence that you own or may use the brand
• A company bank account or an accepted payment arrangement
• A Chinese contact person and mobile number
• Industry licenses where your product needs them

Ocean Engine wants original license files or properly stamped copies, according to AppInChina.⁵

Apple asks for industry licenses based on your app’s content.¹⁵

Keep one identity through the chain. AppInChina advises that the seller, advertiser, account owner, payer and landing page operator should line up.⁹

The landing page is where guides disagree most.

Platform	Reported destination rule
Baidu	AppInChina: mainland-hosted, fully Chinese site 8. Other guides differ, see Baidu SEO or Baidu Ads
Ocean Engine	Cross-border ads generally lead to an approved cross-border store 5
Tencent	A site accepted for verification isn’t automatically an approved ad destination 6
Microsoft	The Egg ties ICP filing to landing pages hosted inside China 14

Some platforms may also ask for an ICP filing, an app filing or a telecom license.⁹ China Briefing says both the ICP filing and the license require a Chinese entity,²⁵ so this can decide the whole route. See working without a Chinese company.

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How much does advertising in China cost?

No platform we read publishes a rate card, so every figure here is a seller’s estimate. AppInChina says plainly that Ocean Engine has no universal CPM, CPC or CPA rate card.⁵

Platform	Opening amount	Reported price	Source
Baidu	CNY 5,000 direct, CNY 6,000 via partner, including a CNY 1,000 agency fee	Not given	AppInChina, July 2026 8
Baidu	RMB 6,000	RMB 5 to 40 per click, competitive sectors	Marketing to China, September 2026 16
Douyin	No minimum stated	RMB 20 to 60 per 1,000 views, general	AppInChina, September 2026 5
Douyin	No hard minimum, effective plans from RMB 20,000 a month	RMB 0.5 to 5, metric unclear	Marketing to China 16
Tencent	Varies, through your partner	Not given	AppInChina, October 2026 6
Juguang	Prepaid, no minimum stated	By click or by impression	AppInChina, October 2026 7

Marketing to China gives no source for its numbers, and AppInChina calls its own Douyin ranges directional.⁵¹⁶ The Baidu guide also gives its daily minimum as both CNY 50 and CNY 100.⁸

China Briefing’s Moments prices are from 2016, so don’t budget from them.²²

Don’t compare those two lines directly. A view isn’t a click, and neither is an enquiry.

Ask what each quote includes, since agency fees may come on top of media spend. Translation and page work are extra costs too. Our guide to Baidu SEO or Baidu Ads goes through the Baidu deposit in detail.

Which rules apply to your ads?

China’s Advertising Law covers online ads too.¹⁷ Article 2 covers advertising within the PRC, and we found no clause about foreign advertisers.

Don’t take comfort from that gap. Chinese agents and publishers must check your documents, and they can’t publish an ad whose papers are incomplete.¹⁷

So as we read it, the rules reach you through them in practice.

Platform approval is a separate test. AppInChina states that it isn’t the same as legal approval, and that platform rules can be stricter than the law.⁹

The rules a foreign advertiser most often meets:

• Truth: The advertiser answers for what the ad says, and hiring an agency doesn’t change that.⁹¹⁷
• Labels: Ads must be identifiable, and paid search results must be marked 广告 and kept apart from organic ones.¹⁷¹⁸
• Prior review: Medical, drug, device, pesticide, veterinary and health food ads need review before publication.¹⁷
• Absolute terms: 最佳 and similar words are banned.¹⁷ See banned advertising words.
• Linked pages: You must check that the page behind the ad matches it.¹⁸
• Live selling: A seller promoting goods by livestream carries an advertiser’s duties.¹⁸
• AI content: Label it when you publish, and don’t remove required labels.¹⁹
• Messages: Electronic ads need the recipient’s consent, plus your identity and an opt-out.¹⁷
• Pop-ups: One click must close them.¹⁸

Audience data is its own question. AppInChina warns that uploading a customer list to a Chinese platform may need added analysis under China’s privacy law.⁹

See does the privacy law apply to you?

What can a mistake cost? AppInChina quotes fines of up to CNY 2 million without an article.⁵ The law sets out a more precise ladder:¹⁷

Violation	Advertiser’s penalty	Article
False advertising	3 to 5 times the ad cost	55
False, ad cost can’t be calculated or is clearly low	RMB 200,000 to 1 million	55
False, repeat or serious	5 to 10 times the ad cost, or RMB 1 to 2 million if it can’t be calculated or is clearly low	55
Banned content such as absolute terms, illegal tobacco ads	RMB 200,000 to 1 million	57
No prior review, breach of the education, real estate or investment ad rules, barred endorser	1 to 3 times the ad cost, or RMB 100,000 to 200,000. Serious cases: 3 to 5 times, or RMB 200,000 to 1 million	58
Unclear product details, faulty data citations or patent claims, disparaging rivals	Up to RMB 100,000	59
Unconsented electronic ads, no one-click close	RMB 5,000 to 30,000	62

So CNY 2 million isn’t a true cap. Where the ad cost is known, 5 to 10 times a large budget can pass it. Serious cases under Articles 55, 57 and 58 can also cost a business license.¹⁷

Unidentifiable ads put a fine of up to RMB 100,000 on the publisher.¹⁷ Under the Measures, an advertiser that publishes its own ads without keeping files, or that doesn’t check linked content, can be ordered to correct it and fined up to RMB 50,000.¹⁸

AppInChina adds that penalties are published on China’s enterprise credit system.⁹ Ask a local adviser how all this applies to your structure.

Who should run the account?

For most foreign companies, an authorized local partner, on terms you can check.

The law requires advertisers to use operators with lawful qualifications, so the agent is also a compliance filter.¹⁷

Before you pay, get these answers in writing:

• Which legal entity is the advertiser of record on each platform?
• Which written platform rule allows my sector and my entity?
• Are you authorized by the platform, and how can I verify that?
• Who approves the Chinese copy and keeps the evidence for each claim?
• Where does my ad send people, and who operates that page?
• What’s prepaid, what’s your fee, and how do unused funds come back?
• Can I see the account data, and do I keep it if we stop?

Ad publishers must verify who the advertiser is and keep files for at least 3 years after an ad ends.¹⁸ Brands that publish their own ads must keep files too.¹⁸ Keep your own copies either way.

Paying for search? Search engine marketing in China covers how paid and organic work together. If your real question is how to sell at all, read selling without being in China.

The bottom line

Advertising in China starts with permission, not creative. Confirm in writing that your entity and sector can buy on a platform, then build the page it needs.

Treat every price as a seller’s estimate, and start small. Whatever the platform says, your claims still have to hold up under Chinese law.

How Index in China can help

We don’t buy ads or hold ad accounts. We translate your site into Simplified Chinese with a human reviewer and work on getting it indexed on Chinese search engines.

That gives you pages you own, whether or not you advertise. We don’t promise rankings or traffic. See what we do, or book a 30-minute call.

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