Currently working my second stint in China for my Australian company, first stint was 15 months although this one will be much shorter.

You really need to talk to your boss, you'll probably find them to be a bit more open minded than you think. If they realise they can't really stop you from going they'll likely see more value in keeping you remote than losing you entirely.

You might need to make some compromises, possibly even pay related, but there's a good chance you can meet somewhere in the middle and everyone can be happy.