Metaphorically speaking, these days, The Great Firewall of China overtakes The Great Wall of China. The GFC stands like a barrier between people living in China and their freedom of speech, or the right to stay informed.
Internet censorship is taking the Internet by storm not only in China but in lots of countries around the world. The reason why this thing happens varies from a country to another.
Circumventing online restrictions, bypassing firewalls, DPI, and other types of blocks are made easy with a VPN.
The VPN technology works like a charm is such situations, plus it helps users change their IP with just a click, and even secure their internet connection while using unprotected public WiFi networks.
VPN blocking in China.
Concluding that internet surfers in China use a VPN to bypass the Great Firewall of China was not rocket science for the government.
Most of the users appealed at the VPN to be able to access blocked social media websites like Facebook and Twitter or VoIP services like Skype or WhatsApp, pushed by the need to stay connected to the rest of the world.
As soon as the number of VPN users increased, the Chinese government decided to detect and block the VPN traffic. This is one of the reasons why is impossible to find a VPN service providing servers in mainland China.
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What’s the best VPN for China?
The performance of a VPN is influenced by many factors. Using a VPN in China is a sensitive subject, as massive filtering can affect the performance of ANY VPN on the market.
To understand why I am saying this, let’s take a closer look at the VPN’s components.
So, to work, a VPN connection combines a VPN server, a VPN protocol, and an encryption standard. The VPN connection may be enabled manually (manual configuration) or by using a VPN app.
As soon as the VPN connection is active (no matter the enabling method), all the data transmitted over the Internet will be managed by the VPN sever, helped by the VPN protocol and the encryption standard.
Thus, what matters the most is how performant these elements are.
In case you will want to bypass DPI, traffic filtering, or other internet censorship methods practiced in China, the most important this is to use a powerful protocol.
There are a handful of popular protocols available. Some of these protocols facilitate speed (like PPTP), while other ones facilitate the security of the VPN connection.
If you live in China or intend to visit it, you will need a powerful protocol that facilitates security.
Such protocols are Stealth VPN, SoftEther VPN, and Shadowsocks VPN (which is not really a protocol but acts like one).
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So, how to choose a VPN to use in China?
The VPN technology is not fully banned in China, as there are hundreds of companies operating there and needing a VPN for being able to perform their tasks.
The first thing you need to know is that you have to avoid using free VPNs. Freemium VPN services are free because of a good reason. In the first place, such services are not able to provide a high-quality service, and secondly, the companies managing such services sell all the information they have on their users.
Therefore, you will need to find a premium VPN service that has:
- Ability to bypass the Great Firewall of China. As mentioned before, the ability to bypass the GFC and making your VPN traffic look like regular web traffic is granted by the VPN protocol you use. That’s why your VPN provider should provide a list of advanced VPN protocols (Stealth VPN, SoftEther VPN, Shadowsocks VPN).
- Server infrastructure. In China, you need to move fast and easy while you’re online. This is the reason why you will need access to a list of highly-performant servers located not far away from China.
- Advanced security features. An example of such a feature is the well-known VPN Kill Switch, which gives you the possibility to disconnect from the internet as soon as you face a VPN connection drop. By doing this, you will be able to keep your identity and IP address secure and private.
Choose smart!
Using a VPN in 2020 is very important, and if you live in a country like China or Egypt, a VPN is mandatory.
Even if all the benefits this technology brings may sound too good to be true, using a VPN is still legal in China.
Of course, you will be able to use only the VPNs that are Government Approved.
Even so, most of the VPN providers making the list of approved VPNs in China are trustworthy and pretty reputable.
Keep in mind that the performance of a VPN in China is influenced by many important factors.
The best option for you would be to find a provider that grants you the possibility to create a free trial and test the performance of the service by yourself.
As soon as your trial is enabled, don’t forget to test the most important things: the VPN protocols, the servers’ performance, and the advanced security VPN features.
Don’t stop until you’re satisfied! Your online security, privacy, and freedom are very important when you live or travel in countries dealing with a high level of censorship!
Choose smart!
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