Traveling to China

asanyan: > Would they ask for my disk encryption password on my laptop to check it? I could probably get a burner phone for the trip, but not a laptop. I think I recall Michael Bazzell recommending fresh burner devices for trips to strict countries based on his experience. Many countries randomly ask people to decrypt devices so I’d expect China to do the same and probably more often than usual. If you must bring a laptop and can’t afford a burner I’d consider wiping it, setting it up so it doesn’t look suspiciously clean, and bring a USB or SD card pre-configured to allow you to re-install your OS and then just download all your personal info online. This could depend on you having a robust GFC bypass plan to access the data and software you’ll need. asanyan: > I plan to pay for a VPS somewhere to access my homelab from abroad, and maybe access Mullvad through that tunnel, as I suspect that it’s blocked in China. Good plan? Mullvad VPN might work but I’d also feel more comfortable having a VPS as a backup. I’d do a lot of research on exactly what VPS service to use and what protocols you should use to connect to it. I remember self-hosting Outline VPN on a VPS being a popular option back in the day but China now manages to detect and permanently block those connections. asanyan: > Regarding Tor, should I refrain from using it? If you could obfuscate the fact you have Tor on your device, I’d personally rather have it as a last resort. Just be sure to store a wide variety of bridges before going. I think meek-azure is the most effective for China but also the slowest.