How to Unblock Google in China 2018

Can Google operate in China? Is it blocked by the Chinese government? Get error when trying to use this search engine? Why has it been blocked? How to unblock Google in China? You will get all answers in this article.

Can’t Access Google in China?

Google is one of the most famous search engines and has a large number of users around the world. With rich English-learning sources, you can use Google to educate yourself, improve your skills, learn, develop, advance and more. It provides the most useful and latest search results, helping users resolving many kinds of problems every day. However, Google is banned in China. Even users who come from another country can’t use this service in this country. When you travel to China, you will connect to the Internet through an ISP in your new location. That ISP will allocate you one of its pool of IP address, all of which have the Chinese country code on them. Your former IP address does not travel with you. Therefore, the Chinese government censorship work on both Chinese and foreigners. You need a VPN to mask your IP address so that your device appears to be connected from the U.S. or Japan to avoid the Internet censorship in China. When you choose a VPN server in the US, your traffic will be unbundled and put back on the Internet from there. The VPN server puts its own return address in all of the messages that travel on from there, so the receiving device thinks that it has received a request from within the United States. You will be able to use Google in China just like you do in the US.

Why is Google Blocked in China?

What’s the reason behind the Google blocking? Google began to consider entering the Chinese market in 2004. At that time, China only had Baidu and YAHOO search engines. From 2006 to 2009, Google China’s traffic and revenue are growing steadily. However, things changed in 2009. As some online statements caused riots or intensified the contradictions in China, the Chinese government chose to remove some sensitive information from search engine and block them on social media platforms. They thought that some individuals and organizations could use Google to spread things like rumors and misunderstanding. They also were afraid that someone might offer money and weapon to support the non-governmental organizations to beat China government. After all, the power of media is pretty powerful. Unluckily, Google refused to continue censoring content on behalf of the Chinese government. When you search in Chinese via Chinese search engine for sensitive keywords like Dalai Lama, Falun Gong, Tiananmen Square incident, etc., it will likely turn up an error page. However, you can find related information on Google easily. One of the direct reasons of the blocking is that the former CEO defied Chinese authorities by not complying with local censorship laws. The Chinese government decided to block Google as they didn’t want the Chinese to know truthful info about Tiananmen, Tibet, Hong Kong, Chinese Communist Party, internal corruption, LGBT, etc. At the same time, Google gradually shut down the server on the mainland, turned to Hong Kong. By blocking Google, the government can promote the local search engines as well. So far, there is no sign that the government will stop blocking this service. If you want to get around the regional restrictions on Google, you need an IP address from outside mainland China.

Strict Internet Censorship in China

It is well-known that China is one of countries with the strictest Internet censorship. In order to control the network effectively, China created the Golden Shield Project. The Great Firewall of China is a part of the project which has been considered at the most advanced firewall on the earth. It’s made up of a system of policies and technologies that control what people in China can and can’t see on the Internet. The Chinese censorship system has a black list of domains that the government does not want anyone to visit. A huge number of websites and services have been blocked in this country. They use DNS Filtering to block those visits by making sure the DNS servers in China ignore anyone looking up a banned domain name. The firewall uses IP Filtering technology to block attempts to access banned sites directly. China’s internet routers refuse to pass data to the IP addresses on the banned list. It also makes use of Packet Inspection technology which can find forbidden words like “Tiananmen Square” or the digital fingerprints of a Netflix video, flag the forbidden content, and block it from going through. The government simply stops users from accessing Google as the sensitive information about China can be found on this search engine. You will have to escape from the censorship to unblock Google in China.

How to unblock Google in China?

Since the firewall is pretty powerful, is there a way to bypass it? Yes, you can get around the censorship system by tricking it into believing that you are located in mainland China. The firewall blocks your connection because you are in mainland China and trying to access Google which is banned by its government. In order to unblock Google in China, you need a VPN which will encrypt your device’s incoming and outgoing Internet traffic and routes it through an intermediary server in a location of your choosing. In this way, you are able to connect to a server outside of mainland China to access Google normally. Usually, the VPN providers offer a collection of IP addresses and server locations from different cities in different countries across several continents. To get fast connection speed when using Google to search, you had better connect to servers in Singapore, Japan or Hong Kong where is closer to mainland China. It will take less time to reroute your data and you will get search results faster. The VPNs also bypasses China’s Packet Inspection technology by using powerful encryption approaches to scramble the data so much that even supercomputers can’t put them back together again. Though the firewall becomes more and more powerful, the VPNs do not fall behind and will keep helping you bypass the censorship. Get a VPN. Once the VPN connection is established, you can Google to your heart’s desire.

When should You Install the VPN?

When is the right time to install a VPN? Before or after arriving in China? We recommend you install the VPN before going to China. On one hand, you have enough time to select among the various VPN in the market. If you don’t know much about technology, it may take some times to find out which VPN you should get. On the other hand, you have more options to choose because the government filters some popular VPNs from the local search engines and you can’t search via Google as it’s blocked there. And, it’s more difficult to install VPN app from Google Play store, Apple store or its official website after you get to China. The websites of some advanced and affordable VPNs may be blocked. It is necessary to get them installed on your device before flying to China so that you can unblock Google with a satisfied VPN in China. If you are already in China and need a VPN, you can choose most advanced VPNs whose websites are not blocked by the firewall. ExpressVPN is such a VPN. You can access its website directly in mainland China.

Free or Paid VPNs?

Some users can’t make a decision between free and paid VPNs. We suggest you pick a paid VPN if possible. Users who had tried free VPNs may notice that they aren’t at all reliable and are extremely slow. With the terrible performance, you won’t be able to do anything other than checking your Facebook or Instagram feeds. It may take a long time to load a picture. Forget about searching for useful information from Google. Even though some free VPNs offer decent performance. It is necessary to consider your decision carefully before installing one of them on your laptop or smartphone. Since they are free, where do their incomes come from? In many cases, the free VPNs install other applications, such as programs that cause pop-up ads when you are surfing the internet, programs that store your browsing data to sell it to third parties. Even worse, they can install programs that use your computer as a server. The price to use a free VPN is sacrificing your privacy and device performance. You will know if it is worth to invest a reliable and fast VPN.

Which VPN Should You Pick?

First of all, the VPN should work. The Chinese government occasionally shuts down some VPN providers, mostly because they crossed some political or other line. Therefore, you need to confirm that the VPN still works in China before purchasing it. Some VPNs have been disabled. Some VPNs’ websites are blocked while the VPN apps still can bypass the firewall in China. The condition is you need to purchase and install it with an IP address outside China.

Secondly, they are supposed to be fast. As we know, the ISPs throttle users’ connection and your connection speed becomes obviously slow after 8 pm in Beijing time. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a good browsing speed. You also need to connect to the proper severs because the closer you are to the server, the better the potential speed will be. If you choose the fast and stable VPN, it’s very rare to lose the connection and you can enjoy the fast speed once you are connected.

Thirdly, the VPN provider should offer excellent post-sale service. When it comes down to use a VPN in China, it’s extremely important to have access to a support team that can help you when your configuration doesn’t work anymore. After the firewall has been updated, it can affect VPN use in a way. If you have any doubt or problem with your connection, you can chat with a support agent any time. Simply navigate to the website of your VPN provider and send an inquiry. Usually, the support team will find a solution within hours. If it’s a common issue, they can help you fix it within half an hour.

Last but not least, the VPNs should come with advanced protocols and servers. Encryption protocols are important to avoid censorship and to improve security. As we know, the Great Firewall of China is being constantly updated. Even if your VPN works today, we can’t assure you that it will work tomorrow. Having the possibility to choose from different protocols and servers provides you with much more flexibility. Some VPN providers even develop special tunnels and protocols to defeat the Great Firewall of China. With one of them, it’s more likely that your VPN will make it through the next firewall update.

Other Benefits of Using a VPN

VPN allows you to unblock and access all services that are banned in China. This includes Gmail, YouTube, Google Search, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many more. What can you do with a VPN besides unblocking Google in China? When you use a VPN, in theory, your IP address is masked and external observers and the websites you visit can’t determine your real IP address. There is no need to worry about snoops or the government violating your privacy or surveilling you. Your data goes through a secure tunnel and is rerouted to a remote server. Snoopers only see encrypted content. You become anonymous and safe online. If you frequently shop online, transfer important data to your partners and send & receive business email, we suggest you use a VPN to safeguard your connections because there many threats on the Internet and the hackers are always hunting a chance to steal your money. A VPN also helps you access restricted content. The government censorship and geo-restriction work by determining your location according to your IP address. Taking the Chinese Internet censorship as an example, the firewall only censors online activities of users in mainland China. If it detects your IP address in mainland China, it will prevent you from accessing Google, YouTube and Instagram etc. Besides, some streaming services like BBC iPlayer are only open to users in their own country. It won’t let you access its contents when it knows you are located outsides UK. To access the global services freely, you need a VPN to spoof your location and gain access to those contents with restriction. Some VPNs also support P2P, allowing you to download via P2P safely and privately.

Is It Legal to Use Google & VPN in China?

Some users in China would like to use VPN to unblock Google in China, but they are afraid that they will violate laws of China. As far as we know, the Chinese government has never stated that it is illegal to use a VPN to circumvent the Great Firewall, and nobody has been prosecuted for using a VPN. Even so, there are a lot of contradictory rumors and news on the subject. The government blocks many VPNs constantly while VPNs are a necessary tool to improve security. Foreigners who go to China for a trip, study or business need Google search engine to get information they need and Gmail to contact home. Lots of foreigners arrive in China every day. It is impossible that the Chinese government totally ban Google and VPNs. It’s fine to use those services in China. There is one thing you need to keep in mind. Don’t try to search for sensitive keywords that might catch the attention of the Chinese government when you’re using Google services. Otherwise, your connection will be reset and sometimes the IP address may be blocked.

Guide to Set Up VPN on Android

1. Unblock the device screen. Tap the Settings icon and select “More” under Wireless & Networks.

2. Select the VPN option on the Wireless & Networks screen.

3. Tap the “+” button and enter the VPN’s details. Give a name to help you remember which VPN is which into the Name field. Then, select the type of VPN server you’re connecting to, and enter the VPN server’s address.

4. Tap the VPN to connect once you finish the setup. You are allowed to choose from the multiple VPN servers configured and switch between them from the VPN screen.

It requires your VPN username and password to login when you connect. If you think it’s inconvenient to enter detail every time, you can save this account information for next time. While connected to a VPN, you will see a persistent “VPN activated” notification in your notifications drawer. To disconnect, tap the notification and tap Disconnect. In this way, you can access Dropbox in China on Android freely.

Best VPNs for China or Other Prohibited Countries

Detail of Some VPNs

ExpressVPN:

ExpressVPN is one of the most trusted, secure brands in the virtual private network industry, and that’s for good reason. It has has Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows applications. It’s superfast and extremely safe, boasting an SSL-secured network with 256-bit encryption and, get this, unlimited bandwidth and speed. All its plans are fully refundable and covered by 30 days money-back guarantee. No questions asked.

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PureVPN:

PureVPN is a one-stop solution for online security, anonymity and privacy that guarantees the fastest VPN speed and highest level of security worldwide by providing you with 750+ servers in 140+ countries across the globe. You can enjoy complete web freedom with the industry leading encrypted e-privacy and e-security.

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NordVPN:

NordVPN has a strict zero log policy and uses two security protocols: OpenVPN with 2048-bit SSL encryption and the 3072-bit IKEv2/IPsec that is currently the most secure protocol available in the market. Additional security features, such as DNS leak protection and double data encryption, are also available. Its IP addresses and wide VPN servers enable you to avoid government censorship and geo-restriction. What’s more, the NordVPN service is based in Panama, which has no data retention laws, meaning that none of your data is recorded, stored or passed to anyone.

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Conclusion

It is a fact that the Chinese government censors users in their country strictly. Google is not the only service that has been blocked by the firewall. What websites are blocked in China?The Chinese Government blocks almost each and every site or service that promote content related to violence, pornography, gambling and discussions against state’s policies. The harsh censorship regimes have brought down over 18,000 websites including famous sites and services including Google, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, BBC, Bloomberg, New York Times and other tech giants. Visiting for a few weeks, studying for a semester, or living in China does not mean having to give up access to the social media and other resources modern life makes essential. It is simple and easy to circumvent the firewall and get Internet freedom in China. So far, VPN is the most effective way to bypass location-based IP blocking to access Google in China. A VPN works by encrypting your Internet connection to keep your communications, data, location and other information private while online in China. It replaces your personal IP address with a VPN server’s IP address, so your true IP address is not revealed. Likewise, advanced VPNs use OpenVPN 256-bit protocol to secure your connection so as to assist you escape blocks imposed by the Great Firewall and avoid censorship.

Submitted by 2-VPNChina.com Editor June 15, 2018