.cn

The country-code extension assigned to the People's Republic of China ranks second worldwide by registration volume, holding approximately 21 million domains. The China Internet Network Information Center has administered it since 1990. Unlike the open European ccTLDs, .cn enforces a local-presence condition — registrants must establish a verified connection to China — so the namespace is effectively closed to foreign applicants. The combination of that restriction with the country's internet population and state-backed digital economy produces a registry that is vast in absolute terms yet almost entirely domestic in composition.