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Chinese Ecosystem

Mainland China is one of OpenClaw's fastest-growing markets, but also its most regulatory-complex. From Tencent WeChat's official integration to state-owned enterprise usage restrictions, this page covers everything you need to know about using OpenClaw in mainland China.

Important Regulatory Notice

Mainland China has strict regulatory requirements for AI services, especially for state-owned enterprises. The information on this page is for reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult professional legal counsel before deployment.

China Market Overview​

ItemStatus
OpenClaw availability in ChinaAvailable (open-source software, self-deployable)
ClawHub accessRequires VPN or domestic mirror
Official WeChat integrationComplete (Tencent official partnership)
Recommended LLM providerDeepSeek (no VPN needed)
State-owned enterprise usageRestricted, compliance review required
Personal usageNo explicit restrictions

Tencent WeChat Integration​

Overview​

Tencent's official partnership with OpenClaw makes WeChat one of OpenClaw's supported messaging platforms. This is significant for mainland China users since WeChat is China's most popular messaging tool with over 1.3 billion monthly active users.

Integration Features​

FeatureSupport StatusNotes
Personal chatFull supportAgent can reply in one-on-one chats
Group chatFull supportAgent can participate in group conversations
Official Account integrationPartial supportCan serve as intelligent reply backend for Official Accounts
Mini Program interactionPlannedExpected in future versions
WeChat PayNot supportedFinancial regulations; not planned
Voice messagesPartial supportRequires pairing with speech-to-text Skill

Configuration​

channels:
  wechat:
    enabled: true
    app_id: "your_wechat_app_id"
    app_secret: "your_wechat_app_secret"
    token: "your_verification_token"
    encoding_aes_key: "your_aes_key"
    mode: "personal"  # or "official_account"
WeChat Setup Notes

WeChat integration requires completing Tencent's developer verification process. Personal accounts and Official Accounts have different verification requirements. Official Account integration requires enterprise credentials.

WeChat-Specific Limitations​

  1. Message rate limits: WeChat has strict message sending frequency limits
  2. Content review: All messages through WeChat pass through Tencent's content review system
  3. Data storage: Chinese regulations require related data to be stored on servers within China
  4. Account risk: Overly aggressive automation may result in WeChat account suspension

DeepSeek — Recommended LLM for Mainland China​

Why DeepSeek?​

AdvantageDetails
No VPN requiredAPI is directly accessible in mainland China
Extremely low pricingOnly 1/10 to 1/30 of OpenAI
Chinese optimizationSpecifically optimized for Chinese-language scenarios
Local complianceMeets mainland China data regulations
Open-source modelsCan be deployed locally for full data control

OpenClaw Integration​

llm:
  provider: deepseek
  api_key: sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  model: deepseek-v3
  base_url: https://api.deepseek.com

DeepSeek Model Comparison​

ModelBest ForChinese CapabilityPrice Level
DeepSeek-V3General conversation, codeExcellentVery low
DeepSeek-R1Complex reasoningExcellentLow
DeepSeek-CoderCode-specificGoodVery low

See API Keys Guide for detailed API Key application steps.

Mainland China Usage Restrictions​

State-Owned Enterprise Restrictions​

Required reading for SOE users

Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have special restrictions when using AI Agent services. The following restrictions may change with policy updates — regularly confirm the latest regulations.

Restriction CategoryDescriptionScope
Data access restrictionsAgent must not access data related to national securityAll SOEs
Model provider restrictionsIn some cases, only domestic LLMs are permittedSensitive-industry SOEs
Deployment location restrictionsMust be deployed on servers within ChinaAll SOEs
Audit requirementsRegular AI usage reports requiredSpecific-industry SOEs
Skill whitelistOnly audited skills are permittedAll SOEs

Compliance Requirements for General Enterprises​

Even non-state enterprises must consider the following when using OpenClaw in mainland China:

  1. Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services

    • AI-generated content must align with core socialist values
    • Content review mechanisms must be established
    • Usage logs must be retained for at least six months

  2. Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL)

    • User conversation logs constitute personal information
    • Users must be clearly informed about data collection and usage
    • Cross-border data transfer requires additional assessment

  3. Data Security Law

    • Processed data must be classified by security level
    • Important data must be stored within China
    • Data security management systems must be established

Network Considerations​

Services Requiring VPN​

ServiceAlternative
GitHubGitee mirror, domestic CDN
ClawHubDomestic mirror sites
OpenAI APIDeepSeek API
Google Gemini APIDeepSeek or Alibaba Tongyi Qianwen
DiscordWeChat groups, QQ groups

Services Not Requiring VPN​

ServiceNotes
DeepSeek APIDirectly accessible in mainland China
Ollama (local models)Runs entirely locally, no internet needed
WeChat integrationTencent domestic service
OpenClaw CoreOpen-source software, downloadable from mirrors
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  China Cloud Server (Alibaba Cloud / Tencent │
│  Cloud)                                      │
│                                             │
│  ┌──────────────┐   ┌──────────────┐       │
│  │  OpenClaw    │   │  DeepSeek    │       │
│  │  Core        │◄──│  API         │       │
│  └──────┬───────┘   └──────────────┘       │
│         │                                   │
│  ┌──────┴───────┐   ┌──────────────┐       │
│  │  Gateway     │◄──│  WeChat      │       │
│  │  (127.0.0.1) │   │  Integration │       │
│  └──────────────┘   └──────────────┘       │
│                                             │
│  ┌──────────────┐                           │
│  │  Log System  │  ← Retain 6+ months      │
│  └──────────────┘                           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Deployment Recommendation

Use Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud's mainland China regions for deployment to meet data localization requirements. Bind the Gateway to 127.0.0.1 and expose it through the cloud provider's load balancer.