You don’t have to set up your own VPN. Many public providers work.

I’d say a fair idea is to host your own personal website with your resume, if you’re capable and/or want to learn. There are often examples you can base your portfolio on.

Exactly this.

At the same time, China is a more united place than Europe which consists of various countries with their own economy and culture. And to be fair, some countries have had their fair share of tech giants, like Spotify, Klarna or Ericsson from Sweden for example.