Claude Code in China: Complete Guide 2026

Why Can't You Use Claude Code Directly in China?

Chinese developers face three barriers

Network Restrictions

api.anthropic.com is inaccessible from mainland China without a VPN or API relay service

Payment Incompatibility

Anthropic only accepts Visa/MasterCard and other international cards; Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay are not supported

Account Registration Barriers

Registering an Anthropic account requires an overseas phone number, and certain IP ranges are blocked from registration

Three Solutions Compared

From self-hosted proxies to professional relay services — which works best for you?

Solution	Stability	Setup Difficulty	Payment	Overall Cost	Recommended
VPN + Direct Access	Unstable	Complex	Int'l Card	Low	⚠️
Self-Hosted Proxy	Fairly Stable	Very Complex	Int'l Card	High	⚠️
QCode.cc Relay	High Availability	5 Minutes	Alipay / Cards	Low	✅

QCode.cc Setup Tutorial

5-minute setup, start using Claude Code immediately

1

Create a QCode.cc Account

Visit qcode.cc to register. Pay with Alipay — no international credit card needed.

Sign Up Now →

2

Get Your API Key

After signing in, retrieve your API Key from the dashboard (format: sk-ant-xxxx). This is your credential for accessing the Claude API.

3

Configure Environment Variables

Set these two environment variables in your terminal to route Claude Code requests through QCode.cc:

# Set the API relay endpoint (direct connection in China)

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.qcode.cc

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-qcode-key

# Launch Claude Code

claude

4

Verify the Connection

Run the following command to verify the connection works:

# Test connectivity

claude "Hello, briefly introduce yourself"

✓ Connection successful! Claude is responding

Full Feature Compatibility

QCode.cc fully proxies the Anthropic API — all Claude Code features work seamlessly

✅

Claude Code Agent Teams

Multi-agent parallel collaboration with full team mode support

✅

MCP Protocol Integration

Model Context Protocol fully proxied, third-party tools connect seamlessly

✅

Claude Hooks

Automated Hooks workflows and event-triggered scripts work normally

✅

Managed Agents API

Latest Managed Agents cloud platform API fully supported

✅

Codex CLI

OpenAI Codex CLI can also be routed through QCode.cc

✅

Streaming Responses (SSE)

Server-sent event streaming with low-latency real-time responses

Flexible Plans with Alipay Support

Choose your plan, scale anytime, no international card needed

Starter

¥60/mo

$45 USD quota/month

Great for individual developers

Frequently Asked Questions

No. QCode.cc fully proxies the Anthropic API, so all Claude Code features work normally including Agent Teams, MCP tool integration, and Hooks automation. We only route your requests to the official Anthropic API without modifying any content.

QCode.cc only relays API traffic and does not record, store, or analyze any request content. All traffic is encrypted via HTTPS from your terminal to Anthropic's servers, providing the same security level as a direct API connection.

We support Alipay (RMB), as well as international credit cards (Visa/MasterCard). Credits are added instantly after payment, and you can renew or upgrade your plan at any time.

QCode.cc uses a multi-node redundant deployment with Hong Kong/Japan dual-active architecture, maintaining >99.5% historical availability. Disruptions to Anthropic's official API will affect all proxy services equally.

Start Using Claude Code Today

5-minute setup, Alipay payment, no VPN — the best choice for developers in China

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Claude Code China Complete Guide