Mainland
Chinese FX traders are facing widespread disruptions this month when attempting
to connect to MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 broker servers. This raises the
question: is MetaQuotes experiencing technical issues in the country, or is
this the result of a potential crackdown by local authorities on foreign
leveraged trading platforms?

Chinese Traders Unable to
See MetaTrader Servers

The
restrictions, which began affecting users in the second half of the month, have
left traders scrambling for solutions as they find themselves unable to locate
broker servers through the popular MT4 and MT5 mobile trading apps. Social
media posts from affected users describe a sudden inability to connect to
previously accessible trading accounts.

“The
most puzzling thing that everyone has encountered in the past few days is that
MT4/MT5 can’t find the broker’s server all of a sudden,” wrote @zebrahelps
on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The user noted that platform
staff remained available and no broker withdrawals had been announced, ruling
out potential technical issues or business closures.

这几天大家遇到最纳闷的事，就是这么突然间MT4/MT5搜索不到经纪商的服务器了！这平台人也都在啊，也没有听说退出啊，难道是自己的手机网络不行？

全都不是，原来是MT4/MT5公司干了一件大事：封了国内IP！

也就是不让中国当地的网络访问经纪商服务器了！这不等于就是不让国人炒外汇了吗！

— 海投FX007-外汇密探 (@zebrahelps) May 27, 2025

Widespread Reports Across
Chinese Platforms

Chinese
social platforms echoed the same story. On Douyin (TikTok) and Weibo, traders
have posted videos and screenshots showing MT4/MT5 apps on mobile and PC
returning errors such as “company request failed” and listing no
servers. Recent Douyin clips state “MetaQuotes infrastructure in mainland
China has connectivity issues – Chinese users cannot search any MT4/MT5
platform, and connections show a ‘request failed’ error.”

The
consensus from multiple user tweets and Weibo messages is that nearly every
broker’s MT4/MT5 server is unreachable from inside China. By contrast, no
obvious thread was found on X outside China – traders there only note that MT4
often requires a VPN to work from the country.

Workaround Solutions
Emerge

The situation is particularly interesting because one China-based broker contacted by FinanceMagnates.com reported no issues on their end. However, Hong Kong-based brokerage GFM confirmed the issue and advised affected clients to use the desktop version of MetaTrader 5. The firm also provided specific IP addresses to help bypass the connectivity problems.

Traders
have also discovered that virtual private network services can restore access
to the platforms. “First download and install VPN tools, purchase VPN
accounts, switch to other country networks, then reopen MT4 and search for MT4
server names when logging in again,” suggested @zebrahelps sharing
workaround methods.

The same
user noted that once a successful connection is established, MetaTrader
applications remember the server settings, allowing users to maintain login
status without requiring constant VPN usage.

MT4找不到服务器的解决方法 ：先下载安装VPN工具，购买VPN账号，切换至其他国家网络后，重新打开MT4，再登录时搜索MT4服务器名称。 成功登录一次后，MT4会自动记住服务器，日后维持登录状态即可，无需每次开启VPN。

— 海投FX007-外汇密探 (@zebrahelps) May 27, 2025

Broader Regulatory Context

The access
restrictions align with China’s longstanding opposition to unauthorized
overseas FX trading. Chinese authorities have repeatedly warned residents
against participating in foreign exchange margin trading abroad, citing high
loss rates and regulatory gaps.

This latest
development follows a pattern of increasing restrictions on international
trading platforms. The current potential IP-based blocking represents a more
comprehensive approach, targeting the platforms’ core connectivity rather than
specific communication protocols. Users in Hong Kong continue to access
MetaTrader platforms normally, highlighting the mainland-specific nature of the
restrictions.