Synchronizing GitHub Repositories to Gitee: Manual Steps, Remote Management, and GitHub Actions

Hello, I’m Qiufeng. Recent political controversies surrounding open‑source projects like Node and React have prompted many developers to back up their GitHub repositories to Gitee to protect their rights.

It is recommended to synchronize both existing repositories and future code changes.

Existing Repository Synchronization

Gitee provides a one‑click import feature on its website.

Steps:

1. Click the "+" button and choose "Import repository from GitHub/GitLab".

2. Authorize Gitee to access your GitHub account.

3. After authorization, select the tab to import all repositories on the current page.

Gitee will automatically import the projects; the imported repositories are private by default.

Future Code Synchronization

Although existing repositories are now on Gitee, the local remote still points to GitHub, so future commits need handling.

Option 1: Add a Remote Source

Use the familiar git remote add <name> <url> command.

Steps:

1. Add a new remote pointing to Gitee:

git remote add gitee [email protected]:hua1995116/mmt.git

2. Push changes to both remotes:

git push origin   // push to GitHub
git push gitee    // push to Gitee

This method requires two push commands each time.

Option 2: Add a Push Source

Remove the Gitee remote added in option 1, then set the push URL for the existing origin:

git remote rm gitee

git remote set-url --add origin [email protected]:hua1995116/mmt.git

Now a single git push origin updates both platforms.

Option 3: Use GitHub Actions

Create a workflow file .github/workflows/gitee-sync.yml that triggers on every push to the master branch and mirrors the repository to Gitee using the Yikun/hub-mirror-action action.

# gitee-sync.yml
name: gitee-sync
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master
jobs:
  repo-sync:
    env:
      dst_key: ${{ secrets.GITEE_PRIVATE_KEY }}
      dst_token: ${{ secrets.GITEE_TOKEN }}
      gitee_user: ${{ secrets.GITEE_USER }}
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
        with:
          persist-credentials: false
      - name: sync github -> gitee
        uses: Yikun/hub-mirror-action@master
        if: env.dst_key && env.dst_token && env.gitee_user
        with:
          src: 'github/${{ github.repository_owner }}'
          dst: 'gitee/${{ secrets.GITEE_USER }}'
          dst_key: ${{ secrets.GITEE_PRIVATE_KEY }}
          dst_token: ${{ secrets.GITEE_TOKEN }}
          static_list: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}

Configure three repository secrets in GitHub: GITEE_USER , GITEE_PRIVATE_KEY , and GITEE_TOKEN .

Comparison of the Three Options

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Advantages

1. Simple configuration

2. Control over push source

1. Simple configuration

2. Simple push

1. Complex configuration

2. Push workflow unchanged

Disadvantages

Requires two pushes each time

Cannot control source

Depends on GitHub Actions availability

Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recent events show that even large platforms can be affected by political actions, reinforcing the importance of backing up data.

Backup your repositories now to avoid unexpected loss.

References

[1] https://gitee.com/help/articles/4284

[2] Gitee SSH private key: https://gitee.com/profile/sshkeys

[3] Generate SSH public key: https://gitee.com/help/articles/4181#article-header0

[4] Add SSH public key to Gitee: https://gitee.com/profile/sshkeys

[5] Gitee personal access token: https://gitee.com/profile/personal_access_tokens

[6] GitHub’s response to the Ukraine war: https://github.blog/2022-03-02-our-response-to-the-war-in-ukraine/