China has been rapidly turning into the most traveling nation in the world. Even while being abroad it is vital to keep in touch with the motherland through reading news websites and talking with friends. In China’s case, it is not that easy because of the notorious great firewall. Only if you get a China IP address, you can access the Chinese-controlled Internet. In this post, we are going to tell how you can get a Chinese IP address as well as reveal some of the best VPNs you can benefit from.
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Reasons for Getting a Chinese IP Address
Since China has built the Great Firewall to censor online activities, many local people seek ways to get IP addresses of foreign countries to access the free Internet. Then why might someone need an IP in China? It turns out, it is very useful for those who often fly abroad. Let’s briefly look at some of the reasons to get a Chinese IP address:
- Access Chinese streaming services in other countries. Many Western VoD platforms such as Netflix, Hulu just don’t work in China. Instead, local people have access to Chinese analogs such as IQiyi and YY Live. Like the majority of video services, they implement geo-restrictions meaning they are available only for a specific region. When traveling abroad, you can watch them only with an IP address from China.
- Use banking apps from overseas. Most online banking services allow access only within a country where your account was created. If you log in from abroad, your account might be blocked to prevent fraud. However, it won’t happen if your banking service thinks you are still in China.
- To communicate via Chinese messengers. Messengers we are used to in the West are banned in China. Local people use WeChat instead. But if you go to a foreign country, you can’t talk to your friends and family – your messages won’t get through the Great Firewall of China. A Chinese IP address is a solution to stay in touch with your contacts.
The Source of China-Based IP Addresses
A VPN is the only way to get the desired IP address from China. Proxies and other similar tools won’t work because they simply don’t have Chinese servers.
This is how a VPN works. When you establish a connection with one of its servers in China, your Internet traffic changing its usual route gets into a virtual tunnel built by a VPN. As soon as it reaches the chosen server, your IP address becomes Chinese. At the same time, a VPN will carry out encryption to protect your traffic from monitoring.
This technology allows you to hide your real location, pretend you are in a different country and keep your sensitive data protected. On top of that, it is the most powerful solution to bypass firewalls and geo-blocking.
How to Select the Best VPN with Servers in China
Taking into account that China has clamped down on VPNs, it is extremely hard to find services that still work in the country. Many providers simply withdrew their servers from China fearing that they might be seized. No servers in China means no Chinese IP addresses.
Besides server availability, there are some other factors to look closely at, among which are:
- Connection speed – the faster, the better;
- Zero-logging policy to ensure the privacy of your activities;
- Favorable jurisdiction – your provider shouldn’t cooperate with Chinese authorities;
- Strong encryption and security features;
- The capability of unblocking streaming services and bypassing the Great Firewall of China;
- User-friendly apps for any device you’re going to use.
It is quite a challenge to find a solid VPN with the presence in China. If you don’t have much time on your hands to examine a bunch of providers personally, you can trust our expert opinion. We hand-tested tens of VPNs based on the requirements listed above. Here are the best VPNs to get a Chinese IP address from anywhere in the world:
- Provider
- User Rating
- Price
NordVPN- 14827 Votes
- $3.29 / month
PureVPN- 7715 Votes
- $3.24 / month
ExpressVPN- 6930 Votes
- $6.67 /mo
Here’s How to Get a Chinese IP address with a VPN
It takes just a couple of minutes to get a VPN on your device and establish a connection through China. This is what you need to do:
- Choose a VPN you like from our top-3 list and subscribe.
- Download and configure the VPN client for your device.
- Run the VPN, and connect to a server located in China.
- That’s it! Now that you have a Chinese IP address.
Can I Use a Free VPN?
No, free VPNs don’t supply Chinese IP addresses. It is too risky to install servers in China knowing that the government intends to shut down VPNs. If you happen to come across a free service with Chinese IPs, you have to ask yourself how safe it is. It won’t come as surprise if some providers spy for Chinese authorities in exchange for permission to operate. After all, many services have already been caught red-handed recording user activities in the past. So it is likely that free VPNs pose a threat to your security instead of protecting you on the web.
Conclusion
A China IP address is not easy to get but with one of the VPNs we recommended in this post, you can have it on your device without any efforts. Please note that proxies and free VPNs are of no use because they simply don’t supply servers in China.
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