POE2 in Hong Kong Help

Hi guys, I've recently downloaded POE2 on steam in Hong Kong and I want to play with friends in Australia but it appears region locked.

Also due to the region issue, I cannot change the language to English.

Any way to get around this guys? I've tried going through Epic Games Store but its not available there. Many many thanks.

Have you tried the standalone client?

https://pathofexile2.com/download

No I haven't but if I've already bought on Steam, does this mean I have to purchase the game again?