Wrap it in stunnel if you can. Basically an https wrapper. Stunnel is increasingly useful for all kinds of VPN especially when you are traveling since more and more places are blocking vpn. Https is almost never blocked. Works pretty much every except China.
Buy a China Mobile Hong Kong 4G China data roaming SIM in Hong Kong airport (arrival concourse).
$15USD, rechargable - and 4G unfiltered internet in mainland China.