What to do before moving to China (especially re. tech)

[gmatt539]

Moving to China next week from Canada. (Lived in China before from 2002-2005) What are some things you recommend doing before the move, especially with respect to technology.  For example:

1. getting laptop and new phone now or in China.

2. VPN necessary or not

3. Should I setup We Chat account before moving

4. Do you need both  WeChat and QQ.

5.  Any other recommendations or things you wish you had done before moving.

 

Thanks for your help.

[Flickserve]

I would definitely get the phone in China. One of the forum members has an Sony phone which is a pain to update in China. There might be all sorts of problems unlocking a phone overseas.

[gmatt539]

Thanks Flickserve, I think getting laptop here in Canada and phone in China is probably best.  Do you use both WeChat and QQ?

[onebir]

1. getting laptop and new phone now or in China.

Used to be hard to get legit English Windows bundled with a laptop (maybe not a problem now?)

 

2. VPN necessary or not

Very  handy if you use google/gmail a lot

 

3. Should I setup We Chat account before moving

Easier done with a Chinese SIM I think

[feihong]

For phone and mobile data plan, consider buying a Google Nexus in Canada and signing up for Project Fi.

 

I don't see any need to get the laptop in China. Prices for computers are not usually much better, and there is a higher likelihood that you won't get what you pay for. 

 

If you regularly rely on Google services like Gmail, Google Drive, etc., then you need some way to get past the Great Firewall. In recent years, I haven't had any luck with the well-known VPN services so I've had to resort to SSH tunneling. This is probably only an option if you're fairly tech-savvy. A recipe that has worked well for me so far is to create a server instance on DigitalOcean in their Singaporean data center and proxy your web traffic from there. This is also a pretty cost-effective solution at $5/month. If you can't figure out how to do SSH tunneling, then VPN is a good alternative (but it may stop working after a while). I've heard good things about VyprVPN, which costs $10/month (less if billed annually).

 

It's easy to sign up for WeChat, so might as well do it now and get used to using it. I don't personally use QQ with anyone now, so it's safe to hold off signing up for that until you meet someone who for some reason doesn't have WeChat.

[889]

I also haven't had much luck with VPNs in recent years, but it's useful to have one or two you can try to get working. You need to sign up for these before arriving in China, since most VPN websites are blocked.

 

I'd also suggest you be cautious about buying your tech stuff after arrival unless a) you're very techy and know the right questions to ask and b) your Chinese is good enough to both ask the questions and understand the answers. As said, bargains are fewer in China these days, and if you find one there may be a good reason, e.g., an operating system you've never heard of, like COS.

 

On other points, make sure your banking and funding mechanisms back home are in place; if there are problems they can be difficult to resolve at a distance.

 

To stay in touch, you might look into VOIP services that give you a home country phone number, then ring your overseas mobile.

[gmatt539]

Thanks onebir.  Which VPN do you use?

[m000gle]

Just a few thoughts, based on a few years experience and an annual visit each year since moving home:

1. If you are particularly concerned with specific brand names, higher-end specifications etc., then making the purchase while still overseas is typically best.  This is especially true for foreign brand names (e.g. Apple, Asus, Sony), and true perhaps to a lesser extent with domestic Chinese companies whose product offerings are equally common in overseas markets (e.g. Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE) but whose models may vary between markets.
   
   If you don't care about those details, and simply want any basic laptop or mobile, then purchasing in China might save you a few bucks.
   
   Warranties will vary from company to company.  Most are only valid in the country/market of purchase, while others are global (shipping costs covered by you), and some (e.g. Apple) tend to let you obtain service at any retail location the world over but come at a price premium.  Assume any foreign warranty won't be valid unless it explicitly states worldwide coverage.
    
2. Get a VPN, or two, before going, as purchasing them while in China will be a pain, and make sure you've downloaded/installed the required software prior to departure, in case it's not accessible upon arrival.  Once one has proven reliable, then cancelling the other is no big deal.
    
3. If you don't have WeChat/QQ, yet, then set them up once you're there and have a local phone number.  If you have one, or both, then there is no harm in using the same account; just make very sure that you aren't using SMS as your account verification or two-factor authentication tool, as the change of location can lead to an account being flagged and your ability to recieve texts on a Canadian number in China are slim, to none, to stupidly expensive (international roaming).
    
4. WeChat, yes.  QQ, why not?
    
5. Other recommendations:
   
   - Have two separate bank accounts, and bank cards, from back home.  This will allow you to have a backup when you inevitably lose one ATM card.  If you are a student, and will be receiving money from parents back home, then having them as a joint account holder allows them to deposit and you to withdraw.  Just remember: Your bank account/card may work; but if you so much as need to replace a card or change a PIN, they will expect you to fly 10000km home to do so.  Bank transfers and/or Western Union are unnecessary, slow, expensive, and often only possible through certain bank locations.
   - Don't waste your money on voltage converters as almost any consumer electronics from this century are globally compatible (100-240v~50/60Hz).  Universal plug adapters are ubiquitous in China, to the point where most power bars have them.
   - The global standards for 3G mobile communications (I am not sure about LTE/4G) are only compatible with China Unicom 中国联通.  If you have a foreign smartphone, they are your only option for mobile data at a reasonable speed.
   - It is not just Google and Facebook which are blocked, but almost every major social networking website, web 2.0 service, cloud provider etc. will, at the very least, experience issues.  Even that Twitter/Facebook widget on a non-blocked page may cause the page to cease loading.  You may be surprised at just how essential a VPN is in order to stay connected with the rest of the world.
   - Maintain your credit back home, if you have already built some, by keeping a card open and using it for something simple such as a recurring VPN service or Skype subscription.  This can mean the difference between a cheap mortgage or having no credit history if/when you return home.
   - If you need to renew your passport while in China, see my post, here: http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/48382-renewing-my-passport-while-in-china/#comment-368099

[feihong]

If you need to use a Chinese bank and want to deal with your account online, then you may need to make sure you have access to a Windows machine. If you normally use other operating systems, you'll have to figure out how to dual boot or run a Windows virtual machine. The reason is that logging in to banking websites often requires a USB drive issued by the bank and custom Windows software that reads from this drive. If possible, it's best to avoid this kind of bank altogether, but depending on your circumstances you might not have a choice.

 

If you use a Windows machine for work, do not install any Chinese-made software on it. It will probably slow down your machine and violate your privacy. If you must install Chinese-made software, use a virtual machine or buy a cheap Windows netbook specifically for this purpose.

[889]

Chinese banking can be a problem. In my case, I can get basic access to my account on my Windows machine with IE, but to do anything useful, like make an online payment from the account, I have to rely on the dreaded dongle, and no matter what, it simply will not work with my version of IE. The only solution I've found is to download something called the 360 Browser, based on an old version of IE; for some reason, that works with the dongle and I can make payments.

 

While your experience may vary with a different bank, it's fair to say there's usually quite a hurdle to overcome to get everything working with online banking.

 

As to banking back home, some banks (and other services) block access from China, and that's another reason to use a VPN, if you can get one to work.

[gmatt539]

Thanks to all for the great suggestions.

[feihong]

I know that China Construction Bank's website worked with Firefox when I last tried it, but I don't know if that's common, and it's possible that it's no longer compatible. Of course you still need the dongle to do anything serious on their website.

 

Before leaving the country, it's always good to call your bank and maybe even credit card company and let them know so that your transactions are not flagged for suspected fraud.

 

m000gle mentioned two-factor authentication previously. You should turn this on if you haven't already, but make sure it's not set to call your cell phone, as that will likely result in international roaming charges. I happen to be on a T-Mobile family plan that includes unlimited text messages abroad, so two-factor authentication that uses SMS still works for me in China.

 

On the subject of family cell phone plans, if you have this option it might be a good idea to subscribe in order to make it cheaper and more convenient to communicate with your friends and family in Canada. For example, my T-Mobile plan gives me unlimited text and data while abroad, and a reduced rate for international calls (might come in handy during emergencies). When I was in China, my phone automatically connected to a Chinese network but my traffic went through a VPN so I was still able to access Facebook and Gmail. The speed of the connection was very slow, but it is one VPN that is unlikely to go down suddenly and without warning.

 

If you do decide to use a Canadian family plan in China, you might want to buy a cell phone with two SIM cards, one for the Canadian SIM and one for a local Chinese SIM.

[889]

And remember that Skype is pretty iffy in China.

[ChTTay]

1. I'd buy the cell phone at home so that you can load everything you want into it easily. Before you buy, as above, maybe search or check if anyone has any issues updating etc. As for a laptop, as above, maybe a legit English copy of Windows would be the biggest issue. Bring your own copy with the registration key.

2. Might be worth getting a few VPNs but I've never had much luck. Worst case you'll get two and both won't work. Good idea to give someone at home the info so they could cancel it for you if necessary.

3. Don't know anyone that uses QQ messanger anymore but have a QQ account and number can be useful. You can use it to sign into other stuff. It also links to wechat (the same company is behind both). You can get an English email account from QQ too if you want a Chinese address. Get your wechat account in China so it links to your Chinese mobile number. You'll need that if you want to take advantage of wechat wallet - which I'd recommend as its increasingly useful.

Wechat video calls also seem to work a lot better than Skype or FaceTime. If you've got family you like to video call , consider getting them to get the APP too.

[chaiknees]

As for the laptop, do not buy it in China. What you usually get (legit one) when you buy a new one with Windows 10 is a single-language version where it is impossible to switch to English or whatever language you want to use. Language packs cannot be downloaded from that version. I suggest you either get one in Canada or in Hong Kong (if you fly in via Hong Kong).

[feihong]

As of late, Skype hasn't even worked that well in the US, so WeChat is definitely the most reliable choice. Make sure to help your parents or other older family members (who aren't good with technology) install WeChat on their mobile devices and add you. It will be much harder to help them deal with this stuff when you're already overseas. Also, do not install the desktop version of WeChat on their computers (this goes along with my general advice about avoiding Chinese desktop software).

[gato]

For VPN, ExpressVPN has worked well on the desktop (since Astrill died), and VPN Master and Hexatech haved worked well on iOS (there might be Android versions available).

[889]

" . . . install WeChat on their mobile devices and add you. It will be much harder to help them deal with this stuff when you're already overseas. Also, do not install the desktop version of WeChat on their computers (this goes along with my general advice about avoiding Chinese desktop software)."

 

I don't trust WeChat on my PC, either, but I also don't trust it on my mobile. Not sure why you're drawing a distinction.

[ChTTay]

I also think how well VPNs work depends where you live. ExpressVPN mentioned above doesn't work well at all in Beijing. Think Vypr has more success. They're all patchy here though.

Without getting off topic too much, I wouldn't let the above worry you about wechat. Obviously if you're coming to China to be some kind of activist then perhaps use whatsapp (which is encrypted). Otherwise, I'm not sure i'd worry anymore about wechat than about your emails being looked at. For wechat wallet, I do have a separate account from my main one. I just keep the amount I've budgeted for the month in it. I had two bank accounts anyway though.

[gmatt539]

Thanks again to all for the great suggestions.