How to Call China with Phone Calls and Video Chat

Pinngle Messenger is a free calling app that you can use to make video calls and phone calls to China. Pinngle works in China, so if you or someone you know lives there, you can easily use Pinngle to make international calls.

How to make free phone calls to China

1. Download Pinngle Messenger for iOS or Android.
2. Register and verify your number.
3. Enjoy free international calls to and from China.

The History Behind Pinngle

Pinngle Messenger is a free voice and video calling app that works in every part of the world. Pinngle was created by a team of developers who noticed a concerning gap in the telecom industry. Mainstream calling apps either sell user data for profit or store users’ information without providing ample security measures to protect users’ data. Another common issue is that many messengers don’t work in areas with limited or restricted internet access. Given all these problems, Pinngle’s mission is to create a secure and free messaging app that works for everyone, no matter where they live. Pinngle has obtained millions of users worldwide since its founding in 2016.

Telecommunications and Censorship in China

China’s emigrants and overseas
Chinese

China’s population stands at over 1.4 billion people. However, an estimated 50 million Chinese people, termed “overseas Chinese,” live outside of mainland China. Over the last 60 years, trends in China’s emigration have led Chinese natives to relocate to nations such as the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, and even Peru. With so many Chinese natives living abroad, there is a large demand for a way to make calls and video calls to China to stay in touch with friends and relatives.

Expats in China

In contrast to this wave of emigration, China also hosts a large community of expats. There are approximately 600,000 emigrants living and working in China, hailing from a range of countries such as South Korea and the United States. Most of these expats have moved to China because of their employers, and the majority of the expat population is concentrated in Shanghai and the Guangdong province.

Media and internet censorship in China

With what is known as “The Great Firewall,” China ranks among the top ten nations with the strictest media and internet censorship. The various types of content that Chinese law enforcement censors range from cultural and religious content, to content that is perceived as a threat to the nation’s economy. The state does not only restrict and filter internet and media that citizens can access, but it also monitors individuals’ internet access. Given that there are over sixty restrictions for internet use enforced in China, browsing the web is certainly not a worry-free activity.

Telecommunications in China

China has the largest telecommunications market in the world, along with the largest number of internet users and active cell phone users. However, since government surveillance is strict, getting in contact with each other in China is not easy. Many people work in places called “censorship factories,” which sift through online material to report and block content that violates China’s content policies. This surveillance extends to peoples’ interactions through telecommunications systems. For instance, China has more than 2,800 text message surveillance centers to scan peoples’ SMS content for “inappropriate” content. China even requires software providers, including Skype, to implement filters for specific terms before allowing them to operate in the nation. Many mainstream messaging apps are blocked in China, including WhatsApp, Viber, and Messenger.

Calling apps that are blocked in China

• WhatsApp
• Facebook Messenger
• Telegram
• Line
• KakaoTalk
• Signal

Using VPNs for calling apps in China

Many people manage to use mainstream messaging apps in China through the use of a VPN. A VPN, or “Virtual Private Network,” is a tool that people download or purchase to overcome the internet restrictions that are specific to their country. Thus, people can overcome state-regulated calling app blocks using a VPN. But there is always a risk that comes with using a VPN. While there currently is no Chinese law that criminalizes VPN use, the Chinese justice system has recently punished two Chinese citizens for using VPNs, and is capable of making cases against VPN-using citizens on the basis of several other laws.

WeChat’s dominance in China

WeChat is the most popular app for video chats and voice calls in China. WeChat was developed by Tencent, a Chinese investment holding conglomerate. The app has more than 1 billion active users each month. In part, WeChat is surging in popularity because of its practical use as a multi-platform app. For instance, it is both a messaging app, social media app, and payment app. However, the main reason it is the dominant messaging app in China is because China’s censorship system has blocked all other mainstream apps.

WeChat Security and Privacy

There are several issues with WeChat’s security and privacy. Because of its large userbase and vulnerabilities in software security, WeChat is a popular target for hackers, who frequently compromise WeChat accounts to steal sensitive user information. Furthermore, WeChat does virtually nothing to ensure the privacy of their users’ information. For instance, it does not use end-to-end data encryption, which has become an industry standard in the secure messaging app industry. And since the app is governed by Chinese law, any user data that the app gathers can be easily accessed by the government. This includes a user’s call history, contact books, and messages. Some states even consider the app to be a threat to national security, including the United States, India, and Taiwan. Australia has even gone so far as to ban the app.

Pinngle Messenger for free calls to China

Pinngle Messenger is on a mission to bring reliable messaging and calling services to everyone in the world. And it can even be used to make calls to China.

There are five company values that drive Pinngle, and determine the features the app offers.

People come first

• End-to-end data encryption protect user information
• Never sell or store user data to third parties
• Never store user data by employment of serverless architecture

A borderless world is a better world

• Can function everywhere, and can’t be blocked by governments
• Works on 2G networks and on overloaded Wi-Fi networks
• Virtual numbers allow one to easily get a local number in another country
  • If you run a business and have clients in China, you can get a virtual number in China so that they can easily contact you

Communication is essential

• Call any phone or landline number, even without internet access
• Share files of any type or size
• Create and manage group chats with up to 50,000 people
• High quality voice calls to China
• Easily communicate with HD video chats to China

Be fearless and authentic

• Express yourself freely, with the knowledge that Pinngle protects your privacy and security
• Share content of all types in Pinngle Public Channels

Do more with less

• Pinngle is a compact app that uses minimal storage and data on your phone
• Can decrease battery use by up to 40%

Pinngle: a better way to connect

If you’re looking for a way to make free calls or video chats to China, Pinngle is an excellent option. Pinngle is free, secure, and private. And since it’s not blocked in China, it can easily be used without the use of a VPN. Download Pinngle today to stay in touch with the people that matter to you in China and abroad.