China

September 15, 2021 — March 3, 2024

china

place

Suspiciously similar content

Interesting snippets about the centre of the world.

1 Podcasts

The China History Podcast (feed). 90% killer. It took me a while to warm to host Laszlo Montgomery, but now I am hooked. He is so curious and enthusiastic about epic stories of the various peoples of China and their complicated history, warts and wonders both, and is just so warm in inviting you to share his wonder. The world where we are all as interested as Laszlo is a better world.

2 Sharp power

The Chinese state is attempting to identify itself with the Chinese people. Fascinating.

See Noah Smith’s invective: New technologies, new totalitarians—by Noah Smith

The third of these is especially new and unique to China. The Economist lays it out:

Xi Jinping, China’s supreme ruler, has instructed the Communist Party to recruit ethnic-Chinese nationals of other countries in a quest to build international support and stymie political enemies. In 2018 responsibility for relations with the Chinese diaspora was handed to the… united front department… In Southeast Asia above all, Chinese embassies and state-security organs reach out to ethnic-Chinese businessmen, clan associations and grassroots organisations. Mr Xi’s approach confers primacy to blood rather than to citizenship: no matter how long ago their forebears left China, ethnic Chinese are considered to have a duty to their ancestral land.

Distinguishing little between the Chinese state, Chinese culture and Chinese ethnicity is bound to sow questions about the loyalty and identity of the tens of millions of ethnic-Chinese citizens of South-East Asian countries.

The “united front department” the Economist refers to is the United Front Work Department. Basically, the UFWD handles the “assimilation” of minorities within China, pushes propaganda overseas, and—most infamously—tries to recruit the Chinese diaspora to serve the People’s Republic of China. For example, Beijing Rules recounts how the UFWD organized massive efforts to buy up masks in America and ship them to China in the early days of Covid.

But the CCP doesn’t just try to recruit its diaspora; it also tries to discipline it. The overseas “police stations” China operates clandestinely within democratic societies are there to abduct and threaten Chinese nationals or ethnically Chinese people who speak up—or who might speak up—against the Chinese government.

3 Practicalities

3.1 The great firewall

Things like shadowrocket seem to be helpful for getting around the great firewall.

Perplexity says

Your father’s frustration with NordVPN in China is understandable, as the Great Firewall’s adaptive blocking methods make even top-tier VPNs inconsistent. Here’s how Shadowrocket compares and why it might offer better reliability for advanced users:

3.2 NordVPN’s Limitations in China

Obfuscated Servers: While NordVPN’s obfuscated servers (OpenVPN-based) disguise traffic as HTTPS, user reports[7] and technical analyses[5] suggest China’s firewall increasingly detects and throttles this method via TLS fingerprinting and IP blacklisting.
Protocol Vulnerabilities: NordLynx (WireGuard) and standard OpenVPN are easier to flag than Shadowsocks/V2Ray proxies used by Shadowrocket[3][7].
Server Churn: NordVPN’s obfuscated servers are frequently blocked, requiring constant server rotation for connectivity—a hassle for casual users[2][7].

3.3 Shadowrocket’s Advantages

Factor	NordVPN	Shadowrocket
Detection Risk	High (VPN traffic patterns)	Lower (mimics HTTPS/SSH traffic)
Protocols	OpenVPN, NordLynx	Shadowsocks, V2Ray, Trojan
Customization	Limited to app settings	Rule-based filtering, DNS over HTTPS
Speed	Unreliable during peak censorship	Stable with residential proxies[4]

Protocol Stealth: Shadowrocket’s support for Shadowsocks/V2Ray avoids the “TLS-in-TLS” patterns that trigger GFW alarms[5][6].
Granular Control: Rules can exclude Chinese apps (e.g., WeChat) from proxying, reducing bandwidth use and suspicion[4][6].
Residential Proxies: Pairing Shadowrocket with OkeyProxy or similar services (rotating residential IPs) lowers block risks vs. NordVPN’s datacenter IPs[4][7].

3.4 Why Shadowrocket Might Work Better

Ongoing Protocol Arms Race: China’s firewall prioritizes blocking commercial VPNs (Nord/Express) over niche proxy tools. Shadowrocket’s open-source protocols adapt faster to GFW updates[6][7].
Localized Usage Patterns: Shadowrocket is widely used by Chinese tech workers, so GFW tolerates it intermittently to avoid disrupting business—unlike foreign-targeted VPNs[6][7].
Reduced Fingerprinting: Unlike VPNs, Shadowsocks proxies don’t encrypt all traffic by default, making them less “visible” to deep packet inspection[4][5].

3.5 Trade-offs and Risks

Setup Complexity: Shadowrocket requires manual proxy configuration (server addresses, encryption keys) and rule creation—NordVPN’s app is simpler[4][6].
No Built-in Servers: Users must source third-party Shadowsocks/V2Ray servers (e.g., OkeyProxy), which vary in reliability[4][7].
Legal Exposure: Both tools are illegal, but Shadowrocket’s niche usage might draw less scrutiny than mass-market VPNs[4][7].

3.6 Recommendation

If your father is tech-savvy, Shadowrocket paired with a reliable proxy provider (e.g., OkeyProxy) will likely offer more consistent access. For ease of use, consider Astrill VPN (favored by expats[7]) or a WireGuard+Shadowsocks hybrid setup[5][7]. Always test tools before traveling to China, as GFW blocks evolve daily.

Citations: [1] https://www.vpnblade.net/does-nordvpn-work-in-china/ [2] https://cybernews.com/best-vpn/nordvpn-review/china/ [3] https://vpnpro.com/guides-and-tutorials/nordvpn-works-in-china/ [4] https://www.okeyproxy.com/proxy/shadowrocket-on-ios-android-mac-windows/ [5] http://blog.zorinaq.com/my-experience-with-the-great-firewall-of-china/ [6] https://www.rapidseedbox.com/blog/shadowrocket-ultimate-guide [7] https://www.reddit.com/r/China/comments/13mv0sw/my_experience_of_vpns_in_china/ [8] https://www.01net.com/en/vpn/nordvpn/china/ [9] https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/nordvpn-china/ [10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLe9sKS5qIs [11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOgEk5cRuXc [12] https://greycoder.com/bypass-chinese-firewall/ [13] https://www.ebizneeds.com/blog/develop-an-app-like-shadowrocket/