ChinaTime in China Now

China Standard Time (CST) · UTC+8 · Capital: Beijing

18:08:38
Sunday 1 November 2026
Time zoneChina Standard Time (CST)Asia/Shanghai
UTC offsetUTC+8
Daylight saving timeNot observed

See the current time in China alongside major cities worldwide on our world clock.

Official name
Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó
Capital
Beijing
Population
1,371,590,000
Currency
CNY
Language
Chinese
Dialling code
+86
Internet domain
.cn
ISO codes
CN, CHN
Continent
Asia
Largest city
Chongqing
Cities on WorldClock
22
Number of time zones
2

Time zones in China

ShanghaiUTC+818:08
UrumqiUTC+616:08

About China

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. PRC, which is located in East Asia, was founded 1st October 1949 and covered 9.6 million square kilometres making it the fourth largest county in the world. China also boarders 14 other countries which is means it has more neighbours than any other nation. The capital of China is Beijing and Shanghai is the most inhabited city. Modern Standard Mandarin is the country’s official language and more than 1.3 billion people live in China. The country’s currency is the Renminbi (CNY). In 1997, the United Kingdom returned ownership of Hong Kong to China and in 1999 Portugal returned Macao, however, today these countries remain largely autonomous. PRC claims ownership of Taiwan although China has no actual control over Taiwan which operates under a completely different political system known as the Republic of China (Taiwan). Many species of animals can be found in China including tapir, Leopard cat, bamboo rat, camel, moose, Asian black bear and the rare panda. The Chines invented papermaking, gunpowder, the compass and printing.

Weather in Beijing

Weather data: MET Norway · Full forecast ↗

Photos of China

Current time in cities in China

Chongqing 18:08ChongqingShanghai 18:08ShanghaiBeijing 18:08BeijingShenzhen 18:08ShenzhenChengdu 18:08ChengduGuangzhou 18:08GuangzhouTianjin 18:08TianjinHarbin 18:08HarbinWuhan 18:08WuhanXi’an 18:08Xi’anNanjing 18:08NanjingHangzhou 18:08HangzhouShenyang 18:08ShenyangQingdao 18:08QingdaoSuzhou 18:08SuzhouKunming 18:08KunmingDalian 18:08DalianXiamen 18:08XiamenZhengzhou 18:08ZhengzhouNingbo 18:08NingboPuyang 18:08PuyangChangsha 18:08Changsha
Shaded areas are currently in night. The map updates live.

China map

Best time to call China

Your time
China

Time difference from China

CityLocal timeDifference
London10:088 h behind
Paris11:087 h behind
Moscow13:085 h behind
Istanbul13:085 h behind
Dubai14:084 h behind
New Delhi15:382:30 h behind
Bangkok17:081 h behind
Tokyo19:081 h ahead
Sydney21:083 h ahead
New York05:0813 h behind
Los Angeles02:0816 h behind

Time tools for Beijing

More countries in Asia

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Frequently asked questions

What time zone is China in?

China is spread over several time zones. The capital, Beijing, is on China Standard Time (CST), UTC+8.

How many time zones does China have?

China has 2 time zones, from UTC+6 (Urumqi) to UTC+8 (Shanghai), a 2-hour spread.

Does China observe daylight saving time?

No. China does not use daylight saving time, so the clocks stay on UTC+8 all year round.

What time is it in Beijing right now?

Beijing, the capital of China, is on China Standard Time (CST), UTC+8. The live clock at the top of this page always shows the exact current time.

What is the time difference between China and London?

China is currently 8 hours ahead of London. The gap can change by an hour when either side switches to or from daylight saving time.

What is the time difference between China and New York?

China is currently 13 hours ahead of New York. The gap can change by an hour when either side switches to or from daylight saving time.

What is the best time to call China?

Office hours in China (9:00–17:00 local time) are 01:00–09:00 in London and 21:00–05:00 in New York, so aim for that window.

Which countries in Asia are on the same time as China?

Right now these countries in Asia share UTC+8: Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan.

What is the dialling code for China?

The international dialling code for China is +86.