Chinese Domain Name Consortium

What is the Chinese Domain Name Consortium (CDNC)?

The Chinese Domain Name Consortium (CDNC) is an association set up for developing a domain name system employing Chinese characters. The People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, the Republic of China and Macau came together with the objective of evolving a standard domain name system of this kind. CDNC was set up in Beijing, on May 19, 2000. The aim of CDNC is to regulate and co-ordinate the Chinese domain name system. CDNC was advocated by four Internet NICs (Network Information Centers) - TWNIC (Taiwan Network Information Center), CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center), HKNIC (The Hong Kong Network Information Center) and MONIC (Macau Network Information Center) located in the Taiwan Strait region.

The domestic domain plays a vital role in China. A number of companies and organizations are actively interested in securing a Chinese domain name. However, the popularization of the Chinese domain name system is delayed due to a lack of co-ordination and communication. CDNC aims at aligning the thoughts about the Chinese domain name structure and helps to improve the ideas and practice about Chinese domain name system.

CDNC's main objective is to organize and promote operation, administration, development and popularity of Chinese domain names. CDNC studies and establishes specifications and standards for Chinese domain names. On the basis of International criterion, CDNC assesses all the Chinese domain name solutions such as policy, registration and technical statements, and standardizes them according to Chinese domain name registration rules. It also prepares the regulative norm for Chinese domain name registration.

CDNC is a non-profit making, independent organization. In CDNC, the decision making is vested entirely in the board of directors. A representative each from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau are included in the main board of directors. The consortium is structured as a secretariat which is headed by the chairman of the board. The working groups in CDNC are:

• Registration and Policy Working Group
• Technical Working Group
• Cooperative Affairs Working Group
• Finance Working Group

To maintain international standards, Chinese Domain Name Consortium (CDNC) cooperates with all associated international organizations and coordinates its running with other regions and countries. CDNC also enhances the coordination between Internet network associations on a global level.