SEE ALSO: While using a VPN in China is technically legal, providers play a game of cat-and-mouse with the authorities, which periodically crack down and try to block servers and throttle bandwidth, much to the annoyance of internet users. For example,, but nothing seems to have happened on the face of it at least, with providers being kept in the dark about if and when the ban will be rolled out. Users in China may have to swap VPNs if theirs becomes blocked, but having one is a necessity for anyone wanting unfettered access to foreign websites, from news sites to social media and Google. If you’re on vacation in China you'll need a VPN for posting snaps to Instagram and keeping in touch with friends using Whatsapp.

The best VPN services have a privacy policy that clearly spells out what the service does, what information it collects, and what it does to protect that information.

This is because VPNs assign a virtual IP address to obscure your real location from others, enabling you to circumnavigate geo-blocking and censorship measures as if you are based somewhere without them. VPNs also encrypt data, leaving your computer or device to make it impossible for others to see what you’re downloading, which is useful in a country where surveillance is a top priority for the authorities.

The first thing to know about VPNs in China is that it’s easier to install one before you arrive, but how do you choose? Lots of servers (in China if possible), high speeds and extra layers of security are all important things to look for in a VPN offering. Reliable, 24/7 customer service is also an important consideration, because if you experience technical difficulties while you’re there, the fastest service available isn’t much use to you if you can’t troubleshoot. — Best all-around VPN for China. Image: expressvpn has a great mix of security, reliability, speed, and customer service, making it ideal for use in China. China’s Great Firewall is sophisticated enough to block basic OpenVPN connections, but can circumnavigate the wall, with users reporting fast speeds, especially if they connect to Hong Kong, Los Angeles, or some other US servers which are said to be optimized for users in China.

The service automatically finds the fastest server for you. Expats say the VPN works well to watch geo-blocked content from Netflix and YouTube, as well as other popular foreign streaming services.

Users can enjoy unlimited bandwidth and they can connect to three devices simultaneously if they want. In a country where there’s censorship, security may seem particularly important. Boasts strong 256-bit AES encryption and support for lots of VPN protocols. The company offers a strict no logging policy and there’s a handy kill-switch, DNS/IPv6 leak protection, and a split tunneling feature for Mac and Windows, which allows users to protect their torrent client only. There’s also TOR compatibility. Customer service-wise, offers 24/7 customer support and a bunch of apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux to make life easier for users.

Expats are particularly complimentary The downside is that it’s a little more expensive than its competitors. A one-month subscription costs $12.95, but you can actually. There's also a 30-day money back guarantee. Image: nordvpn While China tends to focus its crackdowns on VPN providers, security and privacy is important to VPN users too. Has some neat security features, including shared IP addresses.

Its Mac client uses Next Generation Encryption (NGE) IKEv2/IPsec as standard and 256bit-GCM for encryption, which is used by the military. There is also the option to use 'Onion over VPN' or Double VPN servers, which means data is passed through two separate VPN servers instead of one. Photofiltre studio for mac.

For users in China this means traffic can be re-routed to Taiwan, then travel through a server in Hong Kong before reaching its destination, which does take a toll on speed. NordVPN doesn’t keep logs of online activity.