DEX is the way for those countries banning Bitcoin, take a look of Bisq and hodlhodl. Have you completed KYC on centralized exchange you using it before? you need to use Bitcoin mixer to hide your tainted coins, so you couldn't get traced.
I guess using VPNs to access the exchanges isn't going to help you guys, is it? 
There's a problem if the exchanges ask KYC, he will know OP is come from China.