China’s Best English Language, Independent Business Websites – 2017 Survey

Our annual review of the best English language, China dedicated business websites follows on from our previous surveys in 2015 and 2016.  To qualify, websites must have been maintained with at least one article over the previous month. Rankings are independently verified by Alexa; those with insufficient data or below a ranking of one million in popularity were excluded.

As there are over 1.8 billion active websites as of 2017, the websites represented here are among the very best of the very best, and rank among the top one percent of all websites viewed globally. That is an amazing achievement by all of the sites featured, many of which are privately operated, and are all very specific rather than general in their content provision.

These are the winners of the most popular, independent, China focused business websites during 2017:

Website                                                          Global Alexa Ranking 

China Internet Watch                                        199,280

This website monitors Chinese research and online shopping – and as China’s e-commerce sales continue to explode, it’s hardly surprising it takes this year’s pole position. Click here for their most recent article, and congratulations on attaining pole position for 2017.

Marketing To China                                           199,624

As it says on the box, and a well maintained and useful website, designed to provide fresh insights and a deeper understanding of the Chinese market. Click here for their most recent article.

China Briefing                                                     208,440

We take third position this year – having commenced activities way back in 1999. Many may claim to be among the first, but China Briefing really was and remains a front runner. Thank you to all our readers! The website covers China law, tax, investment, and trade analysis and intelligence matters. Click here for our most recent article.

China Briefing’s reach extended further during 2017 with the launch of Silk Road Briefing, which covers Chinese policy and outbound investment into its Belt and Road initiative. That’s one to watch for 2018.

Quality Inspection                                              315,335

Another reliable business stalwart, concentrating on China QC issues, and of particular interest to global buyers and sourcing agents. Has recently moved into covering Southeast Asia and remains a primary focus for sourcing tips and expertise. Click here for their most recent article.

China Check Up                                                    480,870

A due diligence site, providing information and knowledge about Chinese companies. A useful website for those looking for decent quality data on potential suppliers and buyers in China. Click here for their most recent article.

China Law Blog                                                   528,753

Another stalwart around now since 2006, describing itself as “assisting businesses already in China or planning to go into China, not to break new ground in legal theory or policy.” Based from the United States and mainly dealing with China issues for American companies. Click here for their most recent article.

Following is a rankings list of the larger international Chamber of Commerce websites in China. They differ from the above as typically these require membership fees to access. That said, it is useful to compare their effectiveness in being measured by rankings against these, as they do provide slightly different networking capabilities not necessarily offered by those above. Websites from chambers with insufficient global rankings of one million and beyond were excluded, and included this year the Australian, British and French Chambers of Commerce.

Concerning the British Chamber of Commerce, there remains a significant popularity gap of over one million places between it and the China-Britain Business Council that has appeared in the past two years, suggesting far more effort, expenditure and exposure is now directed solely towards the CBBC than to the British Chamber itself. The UK remains the only country to have competing entities in such a manner with an apparent conflict between a civil service controlled (CBBC) versus member controlled (British Chamber) bias contributing to the latter’s detriment, and this issue remains confusing and divisive.

Meanwhile, the German Chamber Of Commerce does not feature this year as it has consolidated all its international chamber websites into one platform and no longer has a separate China site. These are the rankings of the top four national institutional chamber and related websites in 2017:

European Chamber of Commerce

Alexa Ranking: 411,414

China-Britain Business Council 

Alexa Ranking: 464,884

American Chamber of Commerce

Alexa Ranking: 474,650

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

Alexa Ranking: 563,045

Congratulations to all those websites who featured this year, and to those that didn’t – better effort required in 2018! Please let us know if we missed out any worthy candidates in the comments box below. Comments will be moderated.    

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