# China Compliance Strategy for 0604.ai

**Research Date:** 2026-05-25  
**Researched by:** Kimi  
**Status:** Ready for decision  

---

## The Problem

| Issue | Detail |
|-------|--------|
| **School Network Policy** | Strict compliance from Regional Office + National Compliance |
| **Current Hosting** | GitHub Pages (US servers) — offshore |
| **Result** | 0604.ai blocked on school network; cannot whitelist without China ICP |
| **Goal** | Professional AI education content accessible without VPN, shareable in PD/demos |
| **Constraint** | Must separate personal/unrestricted content from school-facing content |

---

## What ICP Is (Internet Content Provider Filing)

**Rule:** Any website hosted on a server in mainland China MUST have ICP备案.

| Type | For | Cost | Time | Who Can Apply |
|------|-----|------|------|---------------|
| **ICP Filing (备案)** | Non-commercial: blogs, educational sites, info pages | Free | 20–30 working days | Chinese entity, WFOE, or sponsored partner |
| **ICP Commercial License** | E-commerce, paid services, ads | Free but stricter | 60–90 working days | WFOE/JV with relevant business scope |

**Key Fact:** Foreign individuals CANNOT apply for ICP directly. You need:
- A Chinese company to sponsor you, OR
- Your school to apply under their entity, OR
- A WFOE (Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise) — expensive and overkill for a teacher

**Also Required:** PSB filing (公安备案) within 30 days of ICP approval. Extra paperwork.

---

## The Two-Site Strategy (Recommended)

Don't move 0604.ai. **Keep both.**

| Site | Hosting | Content | Audience | ICP Needed |
|------|---------|---------|----------|------------|
| **0604.ai** | GitHub Pages (US) | Everything — personal, journals, VPN guides, full agent logs | You, global audience, unrestricted | ❌ No |
| **nasjx.ai** (example) | China VPS or school server | Professional AI education only — lesson plans, demo guides, student tools | School PD, colleagues, students, China network | ✅ Yes |

**Why two sites:**
1. You keep total freedom on 0604.ai (personal journal, VPN talk, agent experiments)
2. School gets a clean, compliant, professional site they can whitelist
3. If the China site gets scrutinized, it's only educational content — no personal risk
4. You can link between them ("For the full build log, visit 0604.ai")

---

## Hosting Options for the China Site

### Option A: School Internal Server (Recommended if Possible)

**Setup:** Bring HIM (or HER, or Mini) to school. Host on school LAN.

| Pros | Cons |
|------|------|
| ✅ No ICP needed if truly internal-only | ❌ Only accessible on school network |
| ✅ Zero hosting cost | ❌ No access from home or for external demos |
| ✅ School IT controls everything | ❌ Requires school IT cooperation |
| ✅ Fastest setup (days, not months) | ❌ Hardware must stay at school |

**ICP Question:** If the server has NO public IP and is only reachable from the school LAN, ICP may not be required. The law targets "internet accessible" sites. Intranet is a gray area — consult school IT.

**Best for:** Quick win. Internal PD sharing. Student access on campus.

---

### Option B: China VPS (Alibaba Cloud / Tencent Cloud)

**Setup:** Rent a VPS in mainland China. Apply for ICP through the provider.

| Provider | Price (approx) | Notes |
|----------|----------------|-------|
| **Alibaba Cloud ECS** | ¥80–200/month | Most foreigner-friendly console |
| **Tencent Cloud CVM** | ¥80–200/month | Good documentation |
| **Huawei Cloud** | Similar pricing | Government-friendly |

| Pros | Cons |
|------|------|
| ✅ Accessible from anywhere in China | ❌ ICP required — 20-30 day wait |
| ✅ Professional appearance | ❌ Foreigner needs Chinese entity/sponsor |
| ✅ School can whitelist easily | ❌ Annual review/re-verification |
| ✅ Scalable | ❌ Content monitoring by PSB |

**ICP Path for a Foreign Teacher:**
1. School applies as the entity (using school's business license)
2. You are listed as the website administrator
3. School IT manages the filing
4. Domain registered under school's name

**Best for:** Public-facing professional presence. Shareable outside school.

---

### Option C: School Subdomain Under Existing ICP

**Setup:** School already has ICP for their main website. Add `ai.nasjx.com` or `tech.nasjx.cn` as a subdomain.

| Pros | Cons |
|------|------|
| ✅ No new ICP needed (under school's existing filing) | ❌ Requires school cooperation and trust |
| ✅ Fastest path to compliance | ❌ School owns the domain |
| ✅ Zero cost | ❌ Content may need school approval |
| ✅ Uses school's infrastructure | ❌ Less independence |

**Best for:** If school IT is supportive and you want the fastest path.

---

### Option D: Hong Kong Server (Compromise)

**Setup:** Host in Hong Kong. No ICP needed. Better China access than US.

| Pros | Cons |
|------|------|
| ✅ No ICP | ❌ Not mainland China — may still be blocked by school |
| ✅ Better latency than US | ❌ More expensive than mainland VPS |
| ✅ Less censorship | ❌ Not truly "China hosted" |

**Best for:** If school only checks "not US-hosted" rather than "mainland ICP."

---

## Content Strategy: What Goes Where

### China Site (Professional, Compliant)

| Include | Exclude |
|---------|---------|
| AI lesson plans | VPN setup guides |
| Student project demos | "How to bypass censorship" |
| Hardware recommendations | Cracked software references |
| Open-source tool guides | Personal agent journals |
| School AI testing results | Political commentary |
| Teacher training resources | Anything anti-government |

**Tone:** Professional, educational, focused on pedagogy.

### 0604.ai (Unrestricted, Personal)

Everything else. Full agent logs, personal experiments, VPN guides, philosophy, the Samantha journal.

---

## The VPN Problem

**Current 0604.ai content:** You document Docker Hub being blocked, using mirrors, Tailscale mesh networks.

**Risk:** On a China-hosted site with ICP, mentioning VPNs or circumvention tools could:
1. Trigger content review
2. Cause ICP revocation
3. Create liability for the sponsoring entity (your school)

**Solution:** Keep all VPN/network circumvention content on 0604.ai only. The China site talks about "using approved China mirrors" and "local-first infrastructure" — frame it as technical resilience, not circumvention.

---

## Recommended Action Plan

### Phase 1: Quick Win (This Week)
1. **Talk to school IT.** Ask:
   - "Can we host an internal AI resource site on the school LAN?"
   - "Does our school have existing ICP? Could we add a subdomain?"
   - "What's the actual compliance requirement — mainland server or just not-US server?"

2. **Set up HIM at school** (if you have hardware available)
   - Static HTML site (what you already have)
   - Nginx or Caddy web server
   - Accessible only from school network

### Phase 2: Professional Site (Next Month)
1. **If school supports ICP filing:** Register subdomain, apply through school
2. **If school doesn't:** Rent Alibaba Cloud VPS, find a Chinese friend/sponsor to help with ICP
3. **Port content:** Copy AI education pages from 0604.ai, sanitize (remove VPN refs)
4. **Test whitelist:** Verify school network allows access

### Phase 3: Dual Maintenance (Ongoing)
- **0604.ai:** Continue unrestricted, personal, experimental
- **China site:** Professional updates, lesson plans, PD resources
- **Cross-link:** "Full technical details at 0604.ai" on China site

---

## Questions for You (William)

1. **Has school IT ever mentioned ICP specifically, or just "China-hosted"?**
   - If just "China-hosted," Hong Kong might work (Option D)
   - If "ICP required," you need mainland (Option B or C)

2. **Would school IT support hosting a server on-site?**
   - If yes → Option A (fastest, cheapest)
   - If no → Option B or C

3. **Do you have a trusted Chinese colleague who could sponsor ICP?**
   - Personal friend with a company = easier path
   - School sponsorship = more bureaucratic but safer

4. **How urgent is this?**
   - Next PD session soon? → Quick internal server
   - Long-term strategy? → Proper ICP + VPS

5. **Content scope for China site:**
   - Just your AI lessons?
   - Or include other teachers' content too?
   - Who else will contribute?

---

## My Recommendation

**Start with Option A (school internal server) + plan for Option C (school subdomain).**

Reasoning:
- Internal server gets you unblocked TODAY for school use
- School subdomain gets you professional shareability for PD
- Keeps 0604.ai untouched as your unrestricted playground
- Minimum personal legal exposure (school owns the ICP)
- If school refuses both, fall back to Option B (VPS with personal sponsor)

---

## Next Steps (Assign to Agents)

| Task | Agent | Priority |
|------|-------|----------|
| Talk to school IT about internal hosting | William | 🔴 High |
| Document school IT response | Kimi | 🟡 Medium |
| Prepare sanitized China-version content | HER | 🟡 Medium |
| Set up internal server if approved | HER/HIM | 🟢 Low (pending approval) |
| Research school ICP status | Kimi | 🟡 Medium |

---

*Research sources: Alibaba Cloud ICP docs, MIIT regulations, AppInChina guide, Chinafy analysis, MSA Advisory 2026 guide.*

*This is a business/legal decision, not a technical one. The tech is easy. The compliance path depends on your school's willingness to support.*