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If you have ever visited China or if heard about China you may know that the Chinese government imposes heavy censorship on internet use within their country. These restrictions on internet usage are collective as China’s great firewall and obviously, they present a great problem to travelers and ex-pats staying in China. However, you can obviously bypass this great firewall by using Virtual Private Network (VPN) as the Express VPN.
The internet censorship policy is nothing new in a country because most countries block access to the websites which host illegal material, for instance. Well, that being said if You have ever read or searched about China you must have heard that this country has numerous and far-reaching restrictions. Many of the social media sites and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are restricted there so it becomes hard to stay in touch with your family and friends in China. Not only social media apps but some of the major western news sites are also inaccessible there. It’s very challenging to find unbiased information there especially about the wider world.
For this problem, the solution is to sign up for a working VPN service before you travel to China. With the help of the VPN, you will be able to beat China’s Great Firewall and have access to all the blocked websites. But before all of this, I would like to inform you that most of the VPN providers do not work in China but exceptionally Express VPN does. The impressive security features of Express VPN like DNS leak protection and the automatic kill switch grant you full internet freedom. It keeps all your location and online activity protected and once you download the app you can connect to 94+ servers worldwide in just a few clicks. But remember to download the Express VPN before you reach China because the website is obviously blocked inside the country.
Today I am going to explain to you about Chinese internet blocking in more detail and will show you how to use Express VPN in China.
How does Express VPN beat’s the Chinese Internet Restrictions?
You may think that most of the VPNs do not work in China so how does Express VPN do. I agree although most VPNs are no longer applicable in China still Express VPN does work there. Actually, this provider does not have any server locations in China so it doesn’t have to monitor the user’s online activities. And so, it doesn’t comply with any other aspects of the Chinese data-retention legislation. In addition, this also makes it far less likely that the service’s hardware is to be bugged by the Chinese government operatives. Sadly this is not like a fringe conspiracy theory and has recently been done with the Apple and Amazon server sites. Check  the best Black Friday VPN Deals here
Why do we use Express VPN in China?
Express VPN is a smart and strong choice for internet users in China due to numerous reasons. The first and the foremost reason is its speed. This VPN works very fast and offers you access to 3000 VPN servers across 94 different countries in the world.
Secondly, it has excellent multiplatform support. These supports include the custom firmware to make installing it on network routers as easy and simple as possible.
This VPN service takes information security very seriously and uses 256-bit AES encryption. This type of encryption is perfect forward the secrecy and protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks. It keeps your online activities private at all times. There is also an internet kill switch protection feature. This feature works on desktop only and immediately stop all the traffic if your VPN connection drops by any chance.
And the best of all features is that this VPN does not log any kind of personally unidentified information. It also allows you to invest in Bitcoin for the increased anonymity. Standard payment methods are also available in this VPN.
Usually, the VPNs save their lowest prices for customers who are willing to use them for a year or less that. And about Express VPN it’s not free but if you need short-term coverage you can use the Express VPN 30 days money-back guarantee policy instead. This policy does not require immediate payment, but you can cancel your membership at any point of time during the month and you will get your money refunded immediately. This process can effectively allow you to try it for free.
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Steps to use Express VPN in China
Exactly saying Express VPN doesn’t need any kind of special setup to work in China. You just need to download the VPN before you reach China. Once you download it to your device you can easily connect it to your preferred server and start browsing. But yes for some extra layer of security and protection on all your devices, you will need to do some minor adjustments. You can make these adjustments in-app settings.
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Connecting your device to VPN whenever you use it
These are the steps to connect your device successfully to the VPN that will help you in smooth browsing in networks all across the world.
Step 1: Open the Express VPN app and go to its “Options” menu.
Step 2: In the settings check the “Launch Express VPN on startup”. This step is to make sure that you automatically connect to an optimal server for China. Examples can be Hong Kong, Singapore, or Japan. Check and connect to the last used location where Express VPN was launched.
Steps to turn on the kill switch protection for further security
Step 1: In the General Settings section you will find a “Network Lock” settings option.
Step 2: Click on the option saying “Stop all the internet traffic if the VPN disconnects”. Clicking this option will activate the kill switch protection option.
Steps to activate the security systems like IP and DNS leak protection
Step 1: Click on the “Advanced” option from the “Options” menu.
Step 2: Click on the options saying Prevent IPv6 address detection while connected and also click on Only use Express VPN DNS servers while VPN is connected.
These steps will make your connection extra secure and then you are ready to use the services of this VPN. Connect to a nearby server and start using it as you wish. You can connect to any server you like but mostly Express VPN suggests you connect to a nearby server for example Hong Kong or Japan. Nearby servers are recommended because they can give a fast speed to your network. I found a list of recommended servers on the Express VPN site. You can use it as a guide to select a proper server. This guide is also dedicated to troubleshooting connections from China.
3 easy ways to troubleshoot the VPN if you cannot connect from China
As you know nothing is immune to troubles in this world. Even Express VPN that can also be called one of the best used VPN’s occasionally has its troubles. Here are 3 ways that will help you to troubleshoot Express VPN if you are not able to get a connection from China.
Before you reach China make sure that your VPN protocol is set to “automatic”
Express VPN has many different protocols that can be used according to the needs of a person from that connection. Some of these protocols are more efficient for data transfers, while others provide a reliable connection. To adjust your protocols read and follow the given steps:
Step 1: Open the Options menu and go into the Protocol settings.
Step 2: Make sure that you have set the protocol to “Automatic” as this will help you to find the best protocol for connecting from China.
Wait for Express VPN to complete the connection request
If the Express VPN is taking a long time to connect, be patient and wait for your connection to get established. The longest it will take is 30 seconds to complete, so retry once again if the app tells you that the connection has failed. If you cannot connect even after many tries as the connection continues to fail, it is advised that you exit the app and restart your device. Then try to connect again.
Contact the Customer support team of Express VPN by Email
Express VPN has a live chat feature on its website. So, if you get any trouble you can chat with the service providers but unfortunately, it is not possible to access that feature from China. But even if this feature is not available a backup feature that is the Email support is still available. You can easily get in touch with the customer service and support center through Email. You just have to write an Email to the customer support center regarding your issues. They will send you a response promptly. I tried this feature once and received a proper response and solution within 24 hours. But remember to make sure that you take note of the customer service address just in case you are not able to access your application or website.
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The reasons why China restricts the internet so heavily
In theory, according to Chinese rules, these internet restrictions are supposed to protect the citizens from the materials that are able to corrupt, divide, mislead or incite hatred among people. The actual problem is that the ideas are open to interpretation but it’s all in the hands of the Chinese government. The Chinese government decides which content falls under what category. As such the Great Firewall of China is used very often as a tool to silent political opponents especially those with dissenting opinions.
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The relevant legislation of China ( the Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection, and Management regulations Act 1997) is very ambiguously worded and seems to be designed to help the government with as many ways as possible to censor any kind of content in name of the law.
For example, the news articles that post content critical of the government (even if it is a balanced news article and the written content is absolutely true) can be declared guilty for enticing division and openly insulting people or for injuring the reputation of big state organs or can also be declared as the activities against the constitution. Further with this, the rumors are forbidden entirely and even some lower stake activities like discussing any kind of celebrity news online can also be considered as a crime.
The services blocked in China
It’s not only political content that China doesn’t give access to. Though there is no exact list of the blocked websites in China. A recent estimation of these sites guesses around 10000 domains that are inaccessible from China itself. Take a look at the below list of content that China has forbidden. These are the most common apps used in India and abroad.
Information repositories ( the Wikipedia, Archive, or Quora)
Messaging services ( WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram)
Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)
Streaming platforms ( YouTube, Netflix, Spotify)
News sites ( BBC all sites, The Guardian, NY Times site)
VPN or proxy related services ( Configuration guide and Tutorials )
Search Engines ( Yahoo, Google, DuckDuckGo)
Lastly Cloud Storage ( Google docs, Google drive, Dropbox, and Mega)
The connection speed of Express VPN in China
Express VPN is one of the best VPN apps when it comes to its speed. It is actually one of the best VPN around. It was tested before recommendation by us and proved to be very effective. It gave a speed of 135mbps in our recent test. This speed of a network is obviously fast enough to do uninterrupted browsing, streaming, or even Torrenting. Even if you watch out for Netflix it requires only 25mbps speed to download its content that also in 4k. In short, this VPN can be used by more than one person or multiple people at a time. So with the speed, I don’t think there should be any kind of issues. But yes remember to connect to VPN to nearby servers like Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore so that you get a proper speed.
Does Express VPN has a limited Bandwidth
Express VPN provides completely unlimited bandwidth. It doesn’t throttle your speed at all. Saying this it can also be considered as a choice for the people who do data-intensive activities every day like watching Ultra HD quality videos or Torrenting.
Operating system supported by Express VPN
Commonly Express VPN offers a user-friendly Windows app but that’s not the only platform it supports. It also supports apps like macOS, Linux, iOS devices, and Androids too. Here is the best part that the mobile apps preserve most of the functions of the desktop version and even more. This means if you connect to the VPN using the android app, you will secure like you are on your main PC.
Not only this but it is also possible to install services of the VPN on your home router manually thanks to its custom firmware. Recently the VPN service had received an update that has eventually increased its speed and stability. If you haven’t tried it till now please try it as it’s highly recommended and far better and safer compared to any other VPN site available on the internet.
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Do other VPNs work in China?
There is no doubt that the Chinese government has put in a lot of effort in stopping and restricting VPNs from China. They have stopped these VPNs from providing a way around their internet restrictions. Further, we have also heard from some services that the Local ISPs s also block them on their own accord. Being such a case there are not many VPN s that provide their services in China, and many fewer of them are reliable.
According to my information, the VPNs that can be used most reliably in China are Express VPN, Nord VPN, Surfshark, Hotspot shield, Private VPN, VyprVPN, and Astrill. However, as I told you before the main website for each of these VPN is blocked and once you reach there you would not be able to download it from anywhere. You will need to find a working mirror site in order to sign up in China. Sometimes these mirror websites can also become inaccessible so it’s necessarily recommended that you register to the site before reaching China.
FAQ’s elated to Express VPN in China
Can I check for a specific website if it is blocked?
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Comparitech also has a great firewall tool that can help you to check whether a given website is blocked in China or not. This option is worth nothing because the restrictions list of apps is frequently updated. It means that even if a website is currently available for use in China, there is a possibility that it can be banned soon or even by the time you are there.
What can I do if my VPN site gets unexpectedly blocked?
If you are in China and find that you are unable to connect to your VPN or access your provider’s website you have no choice other than to wait for the service to come back online.
That being said there are few steps that can obviously be taken in advance before your trip that will reduce the chances of you getting stranded.
Although the Express VPN and other services work flawlessly and reliably in China still, I will recommend you to keep a note of all mirror sites, supported Email addresses, and manual configuration instructions for your own device, just in case if anything goes wrong. Through this method, you will be unable to access anything that you stored in the Cloud and so it is also recommended to keep a copy o all theses information on a password-protected device.
Is it safe to use VPN in a country like China?
As I have told you before that the access to VPNs is heavily restricted in China, but technology isn’t illegal in China itself. For instance, the laws provide the businesses there to choose from a list of pre-approved local VPN providers so they can successfully work with international employees.
Can foreigners do a live stream in China?
As of the year 2017, the foreigners living in China were allowed to live streams. But before all this, they needed to apply to the government regarding these live streams to get a permit granted from the government. This system was not rigidly enforced until recently. Recently the streamers started receiving bans for small offenses or that can not be concerned as an offense either.
Is google maps also banned in China?
Unfortunately, the Chinese government has blocked all kinds of necessary and everyday services in China. These services include WhatsApp, Facebook, Google, and yes even Google maps. But don’t worry about replacing them there are plenty of alternatives like Apple Maps, WeChat, and Baidu Maps.
Can tourists use the Internet in China freely?
You will not have any kind of issues finding publicly available wi-fi networks in China. Free internet services are available from all kinds of coffee shops, tourist hotspots, hotels, etc like any other country. The main problem with these will be that you will not be able to access any kind of websites that are caught up in The Great Firewall. Unfortunately, you will not get a pass even if you are a tourist. The only way to access those services is to use one of the few VPNs that are able to still bypass China’s online Firewall restrictions.
Does Express VPN have proper servers in Hong Kong?
Yes, Express VPN has good servers in Hong Kong. It has exactly three sets of servers across Hongkong. While Hong Kong has recently been forced to recognize China’s national security law, still Express VPN users can browse without worrying about things like who might be watching. This happens because the service refuses to log any kind of data that could identify you.
Is Express VPN fully secured even in China?
If you are wondering you can trust Express VPN while in China then well, I have good news for you. The good news is that the service is very safe to use, regardless of where you are in the world. This happens because this service doesn’t keep any kind of logs that can help anyone to trace you back and this fact has been verified by various independent auditors.