CMS Experts recap: why China is not just another market

To reliably serve fast, compliant, and fully functional digital experiences in Mainland China, the delivery stack and supporting infrastructure must be located inside the Great China Firewall.

That was the claim I made during my talk at the recent CMS Experts meeting in Berlin.

I have been testing global brand sites from inside the firewall and workshopping with people who know Chinese law far better than me. The picture is clear: China cannot be treated like just another market. Serving content there means dealing with compliance and regulation, and ignoring them makes the experience unreliable at best.

The goal of my talk was simple: to share some of my findings, raise awareness of the problem, and spark curiosity. The problem is real and difficult to solve, but that is also what makes it worthwhile.

When we show how we approach it with StreamX.dev, I often see the nodding and get curious questions. That tells me this is not a theory, but a lived challenge for global brands.

Thanks to Janus Boye for inviting my perspective on the subject and for creating the space for these conversations, and to Karsten Winkler and the team at Contentful's Berlin Hub for hosting us.

In Poland we say “sezon uważam za otwarty” – I declare the season officially open –and for me and Michał, that season of meet-ups, conferences, partner meetings, workshops, and all the other good stuff just kicked off in Berlin with this CMS Experts session at the Contentful office.

Janus facilitated like the pro he is, keeping the pace, encouraging the exchange, making sure different voices were heard, and also making sure people actually got off the stage when their time was up.

Here’s what I left the room thinking about:

Andy Kaiser on the Ninetailed × Contentful M&A, showing that beyond the deal itself, having shared values and work ethics is crucial if you want collaboration under one name to actually work.

Irina Botea with a sharp update on buyer behavior trends, including regional differences, something I’ve been noticing myself, though on a much smaller scale.

Benjamin Mack reminding us that if we replace junior developers with AI today, we should not expect to have senior developers tomorrow.

All in all, a reminder that software is and will always be a people business.

The evening didn’t stop when the sessions ended. Even the rain couldn’t take the smiles away. Good food, informal chats, and the kind of networking that feels more like catching up with old colleagues than industry talk. That’s what makes these meetups special. Already looking forward to the next one.