How to watch Chinese TV in the USA

Traveling from China to the USA or any other country can prevent you from accessing Chinese websites and apps. Streaming services block viewers in other countries to protect copyright and licensing agreements. Although this is understandable, it’s no less frustrating if you’re outside China for a few days or weeks. This is where a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help.

A VPN is a service that allows you to connect to a server located back home in China. All of your internet traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel, securing your data from prying eyes. The VPN hides your real IP address and replaces it with one from another country, which spoofs your location.

In this guide, we’ll highlight the best VPNs for watching Chinese TV in the USA and look at them in detail. If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick roundup:

1. CyberGhost: Best VPN for watching Chinese TV in the USA. The fastest VPN on the market and a strong unblocker to boot. No-logs service with excellent apps and support.
2. Private Internet Access: Servers available in 90 countries. Good speeds for streaming Chinese TV, and lets you connect an unlimited number of devices simultaneously.
3. PureVPN: One of the fastest VPNs available and works with Chinese TV channels as well as international streaming platforms. No shortage of extra features available.
4. Hotspot Shield: Easy-to-use VPN service with servers in 80 countries. Stream Chinese TV in high resolution, lag and buffer-free. Split tunneling for Windows and Android.

How to watch Chinese TV in the USA with a VPN

If you’re new to VPNs and some of the technical jargon surrounding them, then you might be worried that getting set up to watch Chinese TV in the USA is only for the tech-savvy. The good news is that’s far from the case. VPNs are designed with the average user in mind, offering beginner-friendly apps and even live chat support should you need it.

Here’s how to stream Chinese TV channels from the USA using a VPN:

1. First, sign up with a VPN that offers servers in China. We particularly recommend CyberGhost.
2. Follow the instructions provided by the VPN to download and install the app that’s compatible with your device.
3. Log in to the VPN app and connect to a server in China. This is required to obtain a Chinese IP address and watch Chinese TV in the United States.
4. Now visit the website of your preferred Chinese TV channel to start streaming. The content should now be unblocked.
5. Still blocked? Clear your browser’s cookies and cache. This helps the website you’re trying to access forget your previous IP address and location.

Our criteria for Chinese TV VPNs

So what separates the VPNs we’ve chosen from the many other VPNs on the market? As part of our rigorous testing process, we have a set of key criteria we’re looking for in a VPN. Only the VPNs that met all of the requirements ultimately made our list.

Here’s what we found in the best VPNs for streaming Chinese TV from the USA:

• Virtual servers in China for unblocking Chinese TV in the USA
• Fast speeds for streaming that’s free of lag and buffering
• Strong encryption to ensure the security of your personal data
• No logging of any data that can identify you as a user
• Live chat and email support, preferably 24 hours a day
• Allows you to connect at least seven devices simultaneously

Best VPNs to watch Chinese TV in the USA

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for streaming Chinese TV channels in the US:

May 2025

CyberGhost is not only the best VPN for watching Chinese TV from the USA, but one of the best VPNs period. A vast server network that covers 100 countries includes virtual servers in China. The fact that they’re virtual servers means they’re not subject to the same requirements as physical servers in China, such as strict data logging. At the time of writing, CyberGhost is also the fastest VPN we’ve tested, averaging 210 Mbps.

CyberGhost has specialty servers optimized for streaming and unblocking that are ideal for streaming Chinese streaming services and TV, including CCTV-1 and Hunan Television. It also works well with international streaming platforms. CyberGhost operates a no-logs policy that has been independently audited. It employs strong 256-bit AES encryption and protects you from DNS and IP leaks. Live chat support is offered 24/7, although its apps are very user-friendly.

CyberGhost apps are available for all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. An Amazon Fire TV app is also on offer, as are browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. Manual setup is required to use CyberGhost with compatible routers.

BEST VPN TO WATCH CHINESE TV:CyberGhost is the fastest VPN around and has virtual servers in China. It’s the best choice for streaming Chinese TV in the USA. No-logs VPN with excellent, user-friendly apps and 24/7 support. Try it risk-free thanks to the generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

Private Internet Access is one of the very few VPNs to provide servers in China. In fact, it has servers in more than 90 countries. It’s a safe choice if you regularly travel abroad and want to bypass geographic restrictions on content. An average download speed of 108 Mbps in testing is more than fast enough for streaming Chinese TV channels like CCTV and Beijing Television. There’s no limit to the number of devices you can connect simultaneously.

Experienced VPN users appreciate PIA’s many features and configurable settings. The apps are lightweight and customizable with the option to choose which information is shown in the main view, as well the order they’re displayed. An independently audited no-logs policy, coupled with 256-bit AES (OpenVPN) and ChaCha20 (WireGuard) encryption, means your data is highly secure with PIA. 24/7 live chat support is included as part of your subscription.

Private Internet Access apps can be downloaded for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux (GUI), Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. You can also find Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. PIA provides installation guides to help you manually configure the VPN with compatible routers.

HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE:Private Internet Access has a global server network which includes servers in China. Able to unblock Chinese TV channels and lets you secure all of your devices at once. Customizable apps with many configurable settings. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Private Internet Access review.

PureVPN is a highly affordable VPN that ranks among the fastest VPNs we’ve tested. The WireGuard protocol facilitates high-speed connections. During testing, we achieved an average of 142 Mbps. This allows for Chinese TV streaming that’s free from performance issues. PureVPN’s China-based servers also let you access the likes of iQIYI from the USA. Overall, PureVPN has more than 6,000 servers in over 65 countries.

You can choose between three PureVPN subscription tiers with varying levels of features. These include a password manager and dark web monitoring. PureVPN ticks every security-related box: 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection. PureVPN has a unique always-on no-logs policy, so it can be independently audited at any time without prior warning, demonstrating its confidence in the privacy protection it provides.

PureVPN apps are available for all of the following: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. If you only need to protect browser traffic, Chrome and Firefox browser extensions are available. The VPN supports routers but manual setup is needed.

STRONG ALL-ROUNDER:PureVPN impresses with a generous server network, fast speeds, and reliable unblocking of Chinese TV and streaming services. Plenty of extras and privacy protection is taken seriously as evidenced by its no-logs policy. 31-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PureVPN review.

Hotspot Shield is a strong VPN for streaming. Servers cover more than 80 countries. China is one of the 115+ virtual locations, allowing you to get a Chinese IP address and watch Chinese TV in the USA. Hotspot Shield averaged 68 Mbps in our speed tests, which we found was more than adequate for streaming in high resolution, all without lag or buffering. Aside from Chinese TV channels, Hotspot Shield worked well with BBC iPlayer and Hulu in testing.

256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch protect your data. You’ll be able to secure up to 10 devices at the same time and have access to 24/7 support as part of your subscription. Although Hotspot Shield provides lightweight, user-friendly apps, they’re not exactly bursting with features. Having said that, split tunneling lets you select which apps and websites can bypass the VPN connection.

Hotspot Shield provides apps for Windows, Android, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV. Chrome and Firefox browser extensions are an even more lightweight alternative for encrypting browser traffic. You can also configure Hotspot Shield manually on select wifi routers.

USER-FRIENDLY VPN:Hotspot Shield provides good speeds for streaming and virtual servers in China that are capable of bypassing content blocks. No-logs VPN with strong security and 24/7 support. Windows and Android apps include split tunneling. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

VPN testing methodology: How we found the best VPNs for watching Chinese TV in the USA

Very few VPNs are capable of streaming Chinese TV from the US. We tested dozens to narrow down the options. Yet that’s not the only requirement we were looking for each VPN to meet. Indeed, speed, security and overall ease of use play a big part in our recommendations:

• Servers in China: If a VPN is to unblock Chinese TV from the USA or any other country, it needs to provide Chinese servers. We looked for those VPNs that provide virtual servers in China. The servers are physically located in other countries so that they’re not subject to China’s extensive logging and internet censorship.
• Speed: Streaming Chinese TV from the US requires fast speeds, which is something that not every VPN can provide. Our speed tests allow us to identify the fastest VPNs. We’re looking for those that allow us to stream in high definition without performance issues such as lag and buffering.
• Bypass blocks: Just because a VPN has servers in China, doesn’t guarantee that it will work with Chinese TV channels. We try each VPN with the likes of CCTV-1 and Hunan TV as well as international streaming services. That way, we can get a better idea of just how reliable each VPN is when it comes to getting around geographic restrictions.
• Security: A VPN that lacks key security features or that is improperly configured can result in your data being leaked. That’s why we look for a VPN to offer military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and DNS and IP leak protection. We also run leak tests to make sure no DNS requests are escaping the VPN tunnel.
• Privacy: The above security features are far less effective if a VPN is keeping logs of its users. Free VPNs, in particular, are guilty of collecting identifying data to sell to third parties. We looked at over 100 VPN logging policies, reading through the privacy policies of each VPN and checking which have received independent audits.
• Ease of use: Not everyone has the time or patience to manually configure a VPN connection. Fortunately, commercial VPNs come with user-friendly apps. We test these out ourselves and look for those that make it quick and easy to connect. The best VPNs also offer live chat and email support, 24 hours a day in many cases.
• Value for money: It’s also important to consider the cost of a VPN. Single month subscriptions tend to be more expensive per month but offer more flexibility and freedom because no long-term commitment is required. One or two-year plans offer the biggest savings but you need to pay more upfront. We find VPNs that offer affordable plans that you can try risk-free thanks to money-back guarantees of 30 days or more.

Watch Chinese TV in the USA FAQs