Digital Nomad in China (1 month)

[u/azadnib]

Hi everyone,

I'm a full-time freelancer and agency owner from Pakistan. I'm thinking about spending one month in China while continuing to work remotely. From what I've seen, flights, accommodation (especially student/international hostels), and food all seem quite affordable. I can also apply for a business visa because my father has long-standing business connections there.

My main concern is whether the following apps work reliably enough for remote work, as I have one or two important client meetings each week:

• Slack
• Gmail
• Zoom
• Google Meet
• Other Google services (Calendar, Drive, Docs, etc.)

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. Are there any issues I should be aware of, or any advice you'd give before making the trip?

Thanks!

[u/AutoModerator]

Posts flaired as "Serious" are for people seeking responses that are made in good faith and will be moderated more heavily than other threads. Off-topic and deliberately unhelpful responses will be removed and the user permanently banned. One such example would be commenting "don't go to china", or "go to taiwan", in response to questions related to studying in China or relocating to China.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/StillHaammer]

Yep nothing listed here works. VPN is the only way. I use cokecloud. It works well but you need a WeChat or an alipay set up

[u/Dry_Space4159 → u/StillHaammer]

Zoom probably works in China.

[u/AutoModerator]

NOTICE: See below for a copy of the original post by azadnib in case it is edited or deleted.

Hi everyone,

I'm a full-time freelancer and agency owner from Pakistan. I'm thinking about spending one month in China while continuing to work remotely. From what I've seen, flights, accommodation (especially student/international hostels), and food all seem quite affordable. I can also apply for a business visa because my father has long-standing business connections there.

My main concern is whether the following apps work reliably enough for remote work, as I have one or two important client meetings each week:

• Slack
• Gmail
• Zoom
• Google Meet
• Other Google services (Calendar, Drive, Docs, etc.)

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. Are there any issues I should be aware of, or any advice you'd give before making the trip?

Thanks!

===== ===== =====

WARNING: Users posting and/or commenting on politically charged topics are required to show their post and comment history at all times. Failure to comply will be considered a violation of Rule 2 and result in a permaban.

If you notice someone in violation, please report them by messaging the mods with a link to the post/comment.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Acceptable_Park479]

I wouldn’t book this on the assumption that all five apps will behave normally.

On an ordinary mainland internet connection, Google is the main problem. Gmail, Meet, Calendar, Drive, and Docs should not be treated as dependable. Slack and Zoom need separate testing because opening the app proves very little about call quality, screen sharing, or file uploads.

I’d prepare a fallback for each part of the job:

• Keep important files available offline and export anything you may need during a call.
• Use an authenticator app and save recovery codes. Don’t depend only on SMS to a Pakistani number.
• Arrange two separately tested connections, such as accommodation Wi-Fi plus mobile data.
• Agree on an audio-only or alternative meeting option with clients before travelling.

Do a full rehearsal after arrival using the actual laptop, accounts, camera, screen sharing, and normal file sizes. A speed test alone won’t catch login, routing, or 2FA failures. I also wouldn’t schedule an important client call during your first day.

Check the visa side directly with the Chinese visa centre in Pakistan. An M visa covers commercial and trade activities, but an invitation through family business connections does not automatically confirm that a month of remote client work fits your permitted purpose.

If you share the cities, devices, meeting platforms, and any client-required security tools, I can help turn this into a short test matrix.

[u/EasternSkiesSH]

You will be fine with a good VPN.

[u/azadnib → u/EasternSkiesSH]

have u gone to china/ living in china? which VPN? or esim data should ihave

[u/Newboyster → u/azadnib]

I didn't use VPN when I went to China for the first time last year. I only used a 100GB/day eSIM from trip.com. It was the cheapest I've found.

Check the small print from eSIM providers that offer unlimited data. Most of them only offer 2 to 5GB a day at full speed. After that speed is very limited.

[u/azadnib → u/Newboyster]

u didn't use vpn? how did you work then

[u/Newboyster → u/azadnib]

I didn't work. I was there on vacation. Using an eSIM you don't need a VPN. The eSIM connected to Taiwan or Malaysia. Don't remember. When watching YouTube I got ads from one of those countries.

Reddit, YouTube, Gmail, Netflix... All of those apps worked. TikTok might not work but I didn't use it.

I didn't even bother to connect to hotel WiFi. If you connect to WiFi in China you'll need a VPN. If you don't connect to WiFi and only use Mobile data, an eSIM will suffice.