Do VPNs still work in China? If you’re in China right now, you’re probably aware of how difficult it is to connect to a VPN right now. Don’t worry – you’re not alone. It’s happening all across the country right now. So what has happened? Do VPNs no longer work in China?VPN
Starting with the National Day celebration in October, China has been clamping down particularly hard on VPN connections. And this comes after an already difficult time of Hong Kong protests that have been extremely sensitive to China. Your VPN may be having trouble connecting, but be patient and check out some of the steps below. Good luck!
I’ll start by saying this: as of December 1, 2019, it is possible to connect to a VPN in China. It’s been difficult to connect at times but yes, it is possible.
The connectivity of VPNs in China goes on a cycle, a fact that you probably know well if you’ve lived in China for more than a year. During important government meetings (such as the Congress meeting last March), major holidays or during sensitive anniversaries, it becomes harder to connect to VPNs. Not impossible…but hard. That’s why it’s important to choose a VPN that dedicates significant resources to serving the China market.
Personally, I use ExpressVPN – which has been incredibly reliable for me these past few years – but I also subscribe to a number of other VPNs that work great in China. No matter what VPN you use, there are a few steps you can take to ensure that you can stay connected even when it feels like your VPN no longer works in China.
**Note: The links for VPNs here are affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you I will be compensated should you choose to use their services. That said, I do personally subscribe to at least 6 VPNs at any given time and have been using them within China for over 10 years.
Not every VPN service works well in China, particularly when China starts clamping down on server connections, but there are a few measures you can take to give yourself the best chance to connect to a VPN.
Make Sure Your VPN App is Updated
One of the best ways to improve VPN connectivity is to keep your app updated. VPN services like ExpressVPN and NordVPN make important tweaks to their connection protocols when connections become difficult. You may not be able to log on to the websites directly, but the links above are dynamic links that direct you to an unblocked page from within China.
Check the China Server Status of Your VPN
Any VPN service that serves the China market well will have a status page that will provide timely updates on connection issues, possible fixes and tips on how to connect to VPN servers in China. Examples of this would be the ExpressVPN Status page, the NordVPN status page, and the VyprVPN status page. Each of these webpages should be updated on a weekly, if not daily basis, and often tell you exactly which servers are working in China.
Change Server Locations and Connection Protocols (multiple times)
Most VPNs like ExpressVPN allow you to choose not only what server you want to connect to around the world, but also what kind of VPN connection protocol you use to do it. If you find that you aren’t able to connect in China, try changing to a different server location or connection protocol. And don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work after 2-3 changes. Sometimes it takes me 10-15 changes before I’m able to find a connection that works.
Be Patient; Even if You Connect, It’s Going to be Slow
You should also realize that if your VPN is having a difficult time connecting to the server, it’s highly likely that even when it does connect, your internet speeds are going to be extremely slow. Remember…this is China! Be patient. If past experience tells us anything, it’s that this too shall pass (even if it takes a week or two).When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN.Qwer432
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