Expat Guide to Vpns in China

Expat Guide to Vpns in China

Ultimate VPN Guide for China
Thank you for downloading the Ultimate VPN Guide!
There's a lot of noise on the internet about VPNs - and most of it can be very confusing. My goal with this short guide is to make things easy to understand, answer common questions about VPNs and provide some awesome discounts for you to use.
Having lived in China since 2006, there is a lot that I've learned about using
VPNs - both within China and outside. China's internet is a bit of a mystery and if you ever hear anybody tell you "such-and-such is the BEST VPN for all of China", well...they're mistaken.
You see, there is no one "Best" VPN. What I've learned is that every city, every district and even every device you use interacts diꢀerently with diꢀerent VPNs. So what works well in Shanghai may not work as well in
Chengdu. And what works well on your computer may not connect easily on your phone. It's crazy!
Take some time to read through this guide and if you still have questions, feel free to email me and ask. I'll be happy to answer them as best as I can.
Enjoy your trip or move to China and stay safe!
Sincerely,

What is a VPN?
Before we get started, I want to take one moment to describe what a VPN is, in case you're not 100% sure. In short, a VPN (short for "Virtual Private
Network") is a way to encrypt the data between your computer and another server in order to access the internet securely and privately.
For a visual representation of a VPN, see the graphic below. If the cloud is the "internet", the tunnel and the server on the other side are the VPN that hide what you're doing from anybody else who might be watching. This server then accesses the internet on your behalf.
A VPN is NOT a foolproof way to keep your identity safe online, nor is it a free ticket to download illegal movies or music. A VPN is simply a way to keep your online activity secure, especially if you're accessing the internet on public WiFi.
Of course, they also help you circumvent any censorship, which is why they're so popular in China :)

Is It Legal to Use a VPN?
One of the most common questions I receive about VPNs (or “Virtual
Private Network”) is this: Is it legal to use a VPN in China? Since China censors the internet using the “Great Firewall of China” to keep people inside the country from accessing diꢀerent websites like Facebook,
Twitter, Google, Gmail, etc., it’s no wonder that VPNs are popular in China.
The question isn’t popularity, though, it’s legality. Is it illegal to use a VPN in
China? Let’s discuss this a little bit and ꢁgure out what is right and what is wrong because it’s clearly not a black and white issue.
There has been a lot of talk about VPNs in China now that China has threatened to ban all VPNs starting in February 2018 and then took the step to remove all VPN apps from China’s Apple store . Seems ominous, right? Historically, China tends to talk big on these type of things. As I’ll describe below, the legality of a VPN in China is questionable but for now, I can still connect to my VPN.

Is it Legal to Use a VPN?
Why Doesn’t China Block VPNs?
Obviously, everybody knows that within China the use of a VPN is pretty important if you want to access blocked websites. So why doesn’t China just stop the use of all VPNs altogether? Every year I hear a news story about how China has clamped down on the use of VPNs and it seems silly that they don’t just cut off VPNs altogether.
Why haven’t they?
The answer is quite simple. The reason is because VPNs are a necessary part of doing business, particularly for international companies in China.
VPNs are what keep the information that companies transmit between
China and the rest of the world secure. International companies will use
VPNs on a daily basis, so if China were to shut down all VPNs, it would severely affect the ability for companies to do business in China.
Is It Legal to Use a VPN?
Individual VPNs vs Corporate VPNs in
China
As an individual though, there’s a lot of gray area as to whether or not it’s legal to use a VPN. In places like Tibet and Xinjiang, which are politically sensitive areas in China, there have been reports that locals have been put in prison for using a VPN. Fortunately for you, none of those reports have ever mentioned a foreigner getting in trouble for using a VPN while in
China.
There was a news report published in early 2017 that talked about China really clamping down and making it illegal to use a VPN. A lot of fuss was made about this news report.
What people didn’t read was the fact that China was being very directive towards businesses that use VPNs illegally. You see, when businesses use a VPN they have to get clearance from the government to do so. They can’t just use a VPN because it’s necessary for business, they have to get approvals from the authorities in China in order to create and use a VPN.
As for individuals, this rule didn’t **technically** apply to them. We as individuals still have the right to be getting on a VPN. Now, I say we have the right. At any point in time, China can change their minds, and they have done so in the past, making trouble for foreigners who use a Virtual Private
Network.
What Would China Do if I Use a VPN?
One example of possible retribution occurred in Xinjiang at the end of 2015.
The authorities in Xinjiang decided to shut down the cell phone service of any person, foreign or local, who was using VPN. One day while I was using my phone, all of the sudden it stopped working.

Is It Legal to Use a VPN?
I couldn’t make phone calls. I couldn’t text. For days I would add money to my phone trying to figure out why it wasn’t working.
When I brought it to my cell service provider they told me it had been shut down by the police and that I was required to go to the police in order to get it reinstated. What happened next shocked me. The police took my phone and proceeded to go through all of my apps and VPN services, telling me which ones needed to be deleted before we were able to unlock our phone.
Now, keep this in mind: I did not get in trouble. Nobody that I know of went to jail. This did not go on our record. All they did was make it extremely inconvenient for us to use our VPN. Once I got my phone back, I’ll be honest…I reinstalled my VPN, and I reinstalled Skype and a couple of other apps that they had told me to get rid of. I am still able to use these, and it’s very hard for them to legislate the use of a lot of these things, but they’re going to continue to just make it so annoying that you don’t want to. That is what they’re going to do.
Is It Legal to Use a VPN?
So...Is it Legal to use a VPN in China?
So…is it legal to use a VPN in China? It’s a gray area. As a foreigner, you’re not going to get in big trouble using a VPN. You just might have a lot of annoyances in life because they’re going to make it hard for you to do so.
One thing I will say here that is important to note: just as China makes life hard for people who use VPNs, they also make it hard for VPNs to do business in China. That’s why it’s incredibly important to use a VPN that has dedicated resources to out-maneuvering China’s internet censors.
That's why in the next section I'd like to highlight the VPN companies that do this best.
Top VPNs for China
Over the past 4 months 2 years 3 years 5 years, I have been testing a number of VPN services (VPN = “Virtual Private Network”), a necessary evil for me since I run an online business here in China. Some have performed well and a couple have been a surprise disappointment. My goal was to take an unbiased perspective on what were the best VPNs for China.
This has not been a simple review process for me – and I hope that the eꢀort I put into this can give you conꢁdence that even though there are aꢂliate links below, what I am sharing are my honest opinions on these companies. Currently there are just too many “review websites” who spent 5 minutes trying out a service or worse yet, are owned by particular VPN company in an effort to disparage their competitors.
So without further ado, here is a short list (not a comprehensive list, mind you!) of some of the top VPNs – some high-security VPNs and some cheap
VPNs for those on a budget – that I have personally used. They are listed here in no particular order and the links are aꢂliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I can be supported in my efforts to provide this free content. Thanks!
Top VPNs for China
ExpressVPN – Recommended
A few years ago, I had quite a few people share with me how much they like
ExpressVPN so I was interested to give them a try myself. From what I had heard, there were two things that separated
ExpressVPN from the competition: highspeeds and an unbelievably easy install.
The speeds during my personal test period were the same as I experienced with all the other VPN services, but one thing’s for sure: their software is by far the easiest to install and use. They have beautifullydesigned apps for Mac, Windows, Android and iOS. Just download and click “connect” and you’re good to go. Every VPN should be this easy, but unfortunately they’re not. If you’re one of those who consider themselves the antithesis of “tech-savvy”, ExpressVPN is worth the money.
Best of all, ExpressVPN is my go-to VPN when it comes to watching Netꢃix
in China, which as you may know, has become increasingly hard lately
(because of Netflix restrictions, not Chinese restrictions).
For a more details, pros vs cons, etc., check out the TravelChinaCheaper in-depth review of ExpressVPN.
Save 35% on ExpressVPN when you sign up for their annual plan.
Top VPNs for China
Review of NordVPN – Recommended
Not every VPN decides to enter the China market –and that’s understandable! So when NordVPN decided to make China a focus a couple years ago, there were a lot of people
(including me) who were curious to see how they would fare.
As it turns out, they’ve done quite well! I ꢁnd that I really enjoy the NordVPN apps and their speeds in country have been great. Every time
China makes a change in the “Great Firewall”, NordVPN quickly adapts to make sure that I remain connected to the outside world. This takes manpower, and it doesn’t happen very quickly with every VPN on the market.
Aside from the fact that NordVPN works well in China, I conꢁdently recommend people purchase the service because of their 30-day money back guarantee. In fact, I often tell people to purchase both ExpressVPN and NordVPN (since they both have 30 day guarantees) and then see which one works best when they arrive. Better yet, you can do what I do and keep both so that you have a backup
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Top VPNs for China
Review of VyprVPN (25% Discount)
Started in 2006, VyprVPN has become one of the most popular VPNs for people in restrictive countries like China, Iraq and many others. One of the reasons is because of their proprietary Chameleon
256-bit encryption protocol which avoids detection while giving you high security.
One of the things I really like about Vypr is their array of beautiful apps, from Windows to Mac to iOS to Android. What’s better, they all speak to each other so that if you tell your iPhone that you prefer a certain server, your Mac application will follow suit. I haven’t seen that in any other VPN service.
My only complaint with Vypr is that 1) they don’t accept Bitcoin or any other anonymous form of payment and 2) they do admit to minimal logging of user data. This should only concern you, however, if your primary purpose of using a VPN is illegal downloading, otherwise this isn’t a bad thing. I explain more in the video below:
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Top VPNs for China
Review of Private Internet Access
Ever since 2009, Private Internet Access has been providing one of the most simple ways to connect to a VPN.
They’re a pretty new company compared to some of these other service providers but they are one of the cheapest around.
What I like most about Private Internet
Access – and you’ll see this in my video tutorial below – is that from the moment I clicked “buy” to the moment I was actually connected to the VPN was less than 5 minutes. It’s super fast.
My only complaint is that the install process for mobile devices is manual. I walk through what I had to do with my iPad in the video below (jump to
6:15) but that’s just one of the things you give up when you pay such a small monthly fee.
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run.
Top VPNs for China
Review of 12VPN ( 10% Discount Code)
12VPN is one of my favorite VPN services for various reasons, not the least of which is that is has consistently provided me with excellent service. Their software is very simple and easy to use, their customer service has been good and their pricing is below the average.
No other VPN service has communicated with me as well as 12VPN has. I receive monthly updates on service and when there was a problem with one of the submarine lines crossing the Paciꢁc Ocean, I not only got an email telling me about it, they also took the time to explain why it mattered. Very cool.
You can learn more about what they oꢀer by checking out my review
below or browsing the 12VPN website (here is the China-friendly link as
well).
12VPN Discount Code: get 10% off. Type in “fwc10” at checkout.
Top VPNs for China
VPNs to Avoid (in my opinion)
While I’m at it, I also want to mention two VPN services that were a disappointment to me. I have no reason to comment poorly on their service (they both offer generous affiliate commissions) other than the fact that during my review period they were, frankly, terrible.
The ꢁrst is Astrill. They’re a fairly well-known VPN service, especially out here in China where I currently reside, so I ꢁgured that recommending their service would be a no-brainer. I was wrong. Not only was their customer support extremely rude…and they knew that I was conducting a review!…but they made me pay for my 7-day free trial. (in fairness, they did eventually refund me the money, but only after 2 months of my incessant complaining).
The second was SunVPN. The problem here is that I like SunVPN and I don’t want to advise against them, I just can’t recommend them. I had problems downloading their software from the get-go and for some reason there was a communication breakdown that we haven’t been able to iron out. Their service seemed good for the short time I used it (it took me a couple weeks just to ꢁnally get it running) but the price/value ratio just didn’t add up compared to all the others I had tested.
Top VPNs for China
Closing Thoughts on VPNs
If you’ve done any amount of research online you know that this list doesn’t even begin to cover the number of VPN companies out there. Be careful, though: not every “Top 5 VPN Services” article you see out there provides legitimate reviews – this is especially true if their URL is something like “bestvpn” dot com or “vpnreviewsite” dot com.
The aforementioned services follow what I like to call the three “R’s” of a good VPN service: they are reliable, reasonably priced, and they are respected companies. When it comes to VPNs, you’re always going to run into some sort of problem somewhere down the road, but with these companies I assure you that you’ll be happy with the service and be well-taken care of by their customer support staff.
If you're interested to read further about VPNs, here are a few additional articles from TravelChinaCheaper that might be of interest to you: