Import From China Business
A practical guide for starting a small business
2010-
Import from China
Sell on eBay
Sandra Kell
Ontario, Canada
Baby Products
Profit This Year: $10,400
“I started with $1,000 and began importing baby products from China. I sell them on eBay, Facebook and in my local stores. After 8 months, I am earning $400 a week. I finally quit my day job!”
Learn How
China Internet
China Internet -
China Internet, similar to many things in communist China is censored by the Chinese government. The age of the Internet has impacted the Chinese population much like the rest of the world spreading liberal ideas. This is in direct conflict to the conservative media rules of the communist party in China. The government sees evil in China Internet.
Photo Credit: Internet Café -
As difficult as it may be to segregate China from the World Wide Web, the Chinese government has the help of global giants to censor the communications with its citizens. Yahoo!, Google and Microsoft have all provided Internet addresses of Chinese citizens who have been arrested.
The global Internet giants also comply with Chinese laws to have sophisticated filtering of capitalistic related blog topics. Blogs for democracy often generate an error message, "This site contains forbidden language. Please delete the prohibited expression."
The Chinese government has engaged in blocking of certain websites, shutting down Internet cafes, and monitoring of Internet traffic.
In spite of such government actions, accessing Internet in China is still relatively easy for the business person conducting an import from China trip.
Tips on China Internet Access without a Computer
If you happen to arrive in China without a computer, here are your options for accessing China Internet:
- There is Internet access in most hotels but the rates can be expensive.
- Your alternative is an Internet café (Wangba) which has more reasonable rates.
- Many local bars in Mainland China offer free Internet access but most of these places are dirty. It's not an area that a business person will want to hang out and surf the Internet.
- If you do want a source of free access, the local library is a much better option.
Tips on China Internet Access with Your Own Computer
If you brought your computer with you on your import from China trip, there are a number ways for you to access the Internet.
- There is free dial up access throughout many parts of the country. In most situations, you make the username and the password the same as the dial up number. The cost is slightly more than the cost of a usual local phone call. The dial up speed is typically good enough for email access.
- For something faster, you can buy an Internet Access Card (Wangka) in many larger cities. They are usually available at the newsstands, and department stores. These come with instructions on the back of the card. You are required to call the administration number to activate the card prior to usage. You may also be required to provide a contact phone number (use the hotel's) and even your passport number as part of the activation process. Please note that the card may be valid only in the city that it was purchased. Be sure to check if you are going to be roaming in different parts of China.
- The dial up phone connectors used in mainland China are the same as the RJ11 phone jacks used in the United States. However, the phone jacks used in Hong Kong are of U.K. standards or British Standard BS6312.
- Laptop users should also be aware of the electrical voltage used in China. It is the 220 volts type across all of China. All modern laptops have integrated voltage selectors which automatically switch from 110 volts to 220 volts.
- Most modern laptops computers also have an Integrated Ethernet connection. This will allow you to use the broadband high speed Internet access in most major hotels. Sometimes Internet access is available through the hotel's television but this often is cumbersome and slow to use.
- Wi-
Fi wireless access is a growing trend in major China hotels and in public tourist areas. There is usually a charge for this service in major hotels. To find Wi- Fi hotspots in China, try www.jiwire.com. It has the world largest directory of Wi- Fi hotspots.
Knowing all the issues of Internet access in China, it is a good idea to bring an accessories bag with plugs, adaptors, and chargers for your laptop . Then you can easily access the Internet and stay connected on your business trip to China whether you are there to find imports for your country or something else.