Staying online in China without a fight

A travel eSIM installed before you fly. It works on landing, requires no shop visit, and its traffic routes internationally so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram behave normally.

Usually yes, because your data exits through the provider’s home network rather than the Chinese gateway. Confirm with the provider that the plan routes data internationally before you buy.

On a travel eSIM or roaming connection it connects. Its map data for China is offset and unreliable for walking directions — use Amap for navigation and Google for planning.

Yes, on a foreign-routed data connection. On hotel Wi-Fi or a local SIM, it will not connect.

Not if your data is on a travel eSIM or roaming. Yes if you plan to work from hotel Wi-Fi or use a local SIM. Install and test any VPN before you fly — app stores may not load on a Chinese connection.

¥100–200 for 30 days with 20–50 GB from an official China Unicom or China Mobile store. You need your passport, and you need a VPN installed first.

Usually yes in city hotels, but hotel networks apply the same filtering as mobile networks, so calls on Google Meet or Zoom may fail without a VPN.

Alipay, WeChat, Amap (or Apple Maps), DiDi, Google Translate with the offline Chinese pack, and your eSIM provider’s app. Install everything at home.

It connects on a foreign-routed connection, but the catalogue depends on the exit region and some providers block streaming. Download shows before you fly.

The offline packs and camera OCR work without a connection. Live conversation mode needs a connection that can reach Google, so it fails on Chinese networks.