publish app to apple store using US developer account while I'm in china?

I don’t think Apple permits international payments.

Best ask your lawyer about your particular regulatory and financial requirements.

Here are the agreements:

… Agreements and Guidelines - Support - Apple Developer

Aaron079 wrote:

publish app to apple store using US developer account while I'm in china?

It doesn't matter where you are physically located when you click the "Submit for review" button.

I'm a student in the US and I have a US apple developer account. I'm from China. I want to publish a paid mobile game on app store in the US region, can I do that?

Yes

Can I use my Chinese paypal to receive payment?

I doubt it. Apple prefers major credit cards and real bank accounts. They're really old-school in that respect. There are so many different payment options all over the world. Apple doesn't use them.

That being said, I don't even know anything about the US store rules. If the App Store accepts your PayPal account when you configure it for paid apps, then you can use it. But I doubt it will accept PayPal. Here is more information: Enter banking information - Manage banking information - App Store Connect - Help - Apple Developer

China has very strict rules about games so I want to publish the game outside of China.

That's a really bad idea. As a citizen of China, you are bound by the laws of China, wherever you are, until you are dead. That's not a China thing, that's everywhere in the world. I strongly urge you to consult with a (Chinese) lawyer before doing anything that you think might be illegal if you were doing it in China. It's probably illegal for you no matter where you are.

I'm in much the same situation. I'm a US/Canadian citizen. I have to follow the laws of both countries. Since Canada is a US vassal state, it's usually pretty easy. But Canadians actually have more freedom than Americans do. Canadians love to vacation in Cuba, but I can't do that. Nor can I buy anything Cuban here in Canada. My Canadian bank accounts relay all my financial transactions directly to the US. Therefore, when I file my yearly FBAR with the US "Financial Crimes Enforcement Network", it had better match.

I wouldn't expect it to be any different for you. Apple has very close ties with China. You can assume that anything you do with Apple will be shared with Chinese authorities.

If you turn this around, you'll realize that you are actually in a really good position. Since you are Chinese, you could probably get authorization to publish any kind of app you want, as long as it conforms with Chinese law. You could sell your app everywhere in the world. Developers in the rest of the world can't do that. I'm writing mapping apps right now. Even before the recent rule changes in China, foreign mapping apps were banned in China. But they aren't banned for you. The economy here is junk. China is doing much better. Don't fight the system. Use it.

Aaron079 wrote:

can you explain what you mean by this. "You could sell your app everywhere in the world. Developers in the rest of the world can't do that". sounds like the advantage of china but I don't think we have that

While China does have a lot of restrictions, you, personally, have an advantage because you are Chinese. You can publish an app in China. I cannot. There is even a new cottage industry of Chinese companies that act as “local partners” so that developers outside of China can get access to the Chinese market - in exchange for a small fee, I’m sure. 😄

Apple describes their end of the process here: App information - Reference - App Store Connect - Help - Apple Developer. You would certainly have to do the work of verifying compliance and getting the ICP. But because you are Chinese, and can read Chinese, it would be easier and cheaper for you to get access to the China market than any American.

PS: I assume you know about the similar US restrictions. If your app “uses encryption” then you will at least have to e-mail the NSA every year and tell them what you are doing. If your app has any actual cryptography, then you might need an actual export license. If you want to sell in France, you may need a license from them too. Certain app using AI might even be further restricted to only the US and Canada.

I think one of the reasons you might think China is different is because so many developers elsewhere blatantly disregard all of those laws. In US-style countries, laws are based more on who you are rather than what you do. Here in Canada, there have been many cases of Chinese people being fired, denied research appointments, visas, etc. In the US, it is illegal for NASA to work with any Chinese person or company.

But in terms of selling an app in China, you have an advantage. So why not exploit that advantage? You can sell the same app everywhere else. Here, and especially in the EU, it’s a race to the bottom with tons of hook-up, gambling, or cryptocurrency scams. If you can come up with a new app that isn’t one of these, you can sell that everywhere, and a real app like that will probably be more successful.