Working Remotely from China: The Digital Nomad Reality

I took a video call from a Shanghai café. VPN failed 20 minutes in. My colleague saw me freeze mid-sentence, then disconnect entirely.

Working remotely from China is doable—but it requires more planning than typical tourist travel. The firewall affects your daily tools. Timezone differences are brutal. And internet reliability is never guaranteed.

Here's everything you need to know.

The Honest Assessment

Can you work remotely from China? Yes.

Is it easy? No.

Main challenges:

VPN reliability varies day to day
Zoom, Google Workspace, Slack all blocked without VPN
12-15 hour timezone difference from US/Europe
Internet speed can be inconsistent
Some work tools have China-specific issues

Who it works best for:

Asynchronous workers (minimal video calls)
People with flexible schedules
Those whose companies use China-friendly tools
Anyone with robust VPN setup

Connectivity Setup (Critical)

Tourist connectivity won't cut it for work. You need redundancy.

Primary: eSIM with VPN

Same as tourists, but choose a reliable provider:

Holafly: Works well for most
Airalo: Good backup option
Look for unlimited or high-data plans

Backup: Standalone VPN (Essential)

Your eSIM's VPN will fail at some point. Have backup.

Recommended for work:

ExpressVPN — most reliable, fastest reconnection
Astrill — popular with China-based expats
NordVPN — good speeds, lots of servers

Download multiple VPNs. When one fails, switch to another.

Multiple VPN apps installed — Install at least two VPN apps. You'll need the backup.

Emergency: Hotel Business Center

Many hotels have "international business" internet that's less restricted. Ask at reception if your room VPN fails completely.

Budget for Connectivity

| Item | Cost | |------|------| | eSIM (14 days, high data) | $40-60 | | VPN #1 subscription | $10-15/month | | VPN #2 subscription | $10-15/month | | Total | ~$60-90 |

Worth every penny for work reliability.

Tool Compatibility

Works Fine (Usually)

| Tool | Notes | |------|-------| | Slack | Works with VPN | | Zoom | Works with VPN (some latency) | | Microsoft Teams | Works with VPN | | Google Workspace | Works with VPN | | GitHub | Works with VPN | | Notion | Works with VPN | | Figma | Works with VPN |

Can Be Problematic

| Tool | Issue | |------|-------| | AWS Console | Sometimes slow/blocked | | Google Colab | Can fail | | Some API services | Geo-restrictions | | Streaming for work | Bandwidth issues |

Backup Plans

Download offline copies of critical documents
Have phone hotspot ready if WiFi fails
Know how to switch VPN protocols quickly
Test all work tools before important calls

Timezone Management

This is the hardest part of working from China.

The Math

| Your Time | Beijing Time (UTC+8) | |-----------|---------------------| | US East 9 AM | 10 PM same day | | US West 9 AM | 1 AM next day | | UK 9 AM | 5 PM same day | | EU Central 9 AM | 4 PM same day |

Strategies That Work

Option 1: Shifted Schedule

Work Chinese evenings to overlap with US/EU mornings.

Wake: 12 PM
Work: 7 PM - 3 AM
Sleep: 4 AM - 12 PM

Good for synchronous work, rough on social life.

Option 2: Async First

Minimize live meetings. Communicate via:

Loom videos
Detailed Slack messages
Shared documents

Check in during brief overlap windows only.

Option 3: Early Morning Calls

Take US evening calls at your 7-9 AM.

US East 6 PM = Beijing 7 AM
US West 6 PM = Beijing 10 AM

More reasonable than midnight calls.

Setting Expectations

Before you go, tell your team:

Your working hours in their timezone
When you're available for live calls
Expected response delays
How to reach you urgently

Where to Work

Hotel Room

Pros: Private, reliable WiFi (usually), comfortable

Cons: Can feel isolating, room service coffee isn't great

Tips:

Choose hotels with good business traveler reviews
Ask about "international internet" options
Request a desk if room doesn't have one

Cafés

China has excellent café culture, especially in tier-1 cities.

Good café chains:

Starbucks (reliable, international)
Manner Coffee (Shanghai specialty)
% Arabica (good design, decent WiFi)
Tim Hortons (yes, they're in China)

Working from Shanghai café — Shanghai cafés: good coffee, decent WiFi, nice atmosphere.

Reality check:

WiFi quality varies
Can get noisy
May need to buy something every hour
Power outlets not always available

Coworking Spaces

Major cities have coworking options:

Shanghai:

WeWork (international standard)
Naked Hub
People Squared

Beijing:

WeWork
Ucommune
Soho 3Q

Cost: ¥100-300/day for hot desk

Booking: Check availability online, day passes usually available

Libraries

Public libraries exist but:

Hours can be limited
Internet may not allow VPN
Usually quiet but crowded

Not recommended for work calls.

Practical Tips

Before You Go

[ ] Install and test 2+ VPN apps
[ ] Download offline versions of key documents
[ ] Set up TeamViewer/remote desktop to home computer (emergency escape hatch)
[ ] Communicate availability to team
[ ] Set realistic expectations for productivity

Daily Routine

[ ] Test VPN first thing
[ ] Check all critical tools work
[ ] Have backup location identified
[ ] Charge all devices before leaving
[ ] Know hotel/café WiFi passwords

For Video Calls

Test connection 15 minutes before
Have phone hotspot ready as backup
Turn off video if bandwidth is low
Mute when not speaking
Warn attendees about possible drops

City Recommendations

Best for Remote Work

Shanghai: Best café culture, fastest internet, most international

Shenzhen: Tech hub, very fast internet, coworking scene

Beijing: Good options but air quality varies

Hangzhou: Alibaba HQ, good tech infrastructure

Challenging

Smaller cities: Limited WiFi reliability, fewer café options

Tourist-heavy areas: Crowded, distracting

What Could Go Wrong

VPN Dies Before Important Call

Prevention: Test 15 minutes early. Have backup VPN ready.

Recovery: Switch VPNs, switch to phone hotspot, call from phone if necessary.

Internet Too Slow

Prevention: Check speeds before booking calls.

Recovery: Move to hotel lobby, try different WiFi, reduce video quality.

Zoom Gets Completely Blocked

Happened during previous "sensitive" periods. Rare but possible.

Prevention: Have backup tools agreed with team (Tencent Meeting works in China).

Recovery: Audio-only call, reschedule, use Chinese platform temporarily.

Legal Considerations

Visa

Tourist visas (L visa) don't allow formal employment. Working remotely for a non-Chinese company in a grey area—technically tourism, practically working.

Reality: Most digital nomads do this without issues. Keep a low profile.

Taxes

If staying 183+ days, tax implications may apply. For shorter trips, you're generally fine. Consult a tax professional for long stays.

VPN Usage

VPNs are technically restricted but widely used. Tourists using VPNs for personal use haven't faced issues. Don't discuss VPN use publicly.

Our Experience

We worked 4-5 hours per day during our 14-day trip (reduced load, vacation-ish).

What worked:

ExpressVPN handled most needs
Shanghai cafés were excellent
Early morning calls (7-9 AM China time) overlapped with US evening
Async communication reduced call pressure

What didn't:

Hotel WiFi + VPN = slow
One complete VPN outage for 3 hours
Video call quality was inconsistent
Sleep schedule got weird

Verdict: Doable for light work. Full-time remote work from China requires more robust setup and schedule flexibility.

Checklist

Before departure:

[ ] 2+ VPN apps installed and tested
[ ] eSIM with high data limit
[ ] TeamViewer on home computer
[ ] Key documents downloaded offline
[ ] Team informed of schedule

Packing:

[ ] Power bank (large capacity)
[ ] Universal adapter
[ ] Laptop + charger
[ ] Portable mouse/keyboard if needed
[ ] Headphones with microphone

Daily:

[ ] Test VPN first thing
[ ] Identify backup work location
[ ] Charge everything overnight

Need Backup Support?

If you want someone available when your VPN fails mid-call, our Guardian package includes 24/7 WeChat support for $19.

Related Guides:

Working Remotely from China: Digital Nomad Guide (2026)