Teaching english in China

You can teach, but you had better be sure that your English language skills are really good. Your pay rate will be less than a native speaker. A lot will depend on your personality.

Good to know. What course of action would you advice me to take? Should I take TEFL online and would I be able to get a work visa realistically?

You will need to have the basics;

1. A four year college diploma.
2. A TSOL or ESL diploma of some sort.
3. Two years experience in teaching EFL.

That will be enough to get you to start interviewing. Once you get an offer, you will need to apply for a Z-visa. The school will handle most of this, however, you will need to get a non-criminal background check from your local police.

Then,

Please be advised that China will be very different. Some love it, some hate it. Your visa will be directly tied to your work. So if you want to break your contract, you can very well lose your visa. Think long and hard about your decision, and then follow through with it.