Current Time in China
The exact time in China right now, live to the second. All of mainland China uses one time zone, Beijing Time (UTC+8), with no daylight saving time. See how far ahead China is of you, sunrise and sunset in major cities, and convert any time in one step.
Last updated:
Compared with
Sunrise & sunset today
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Quick time converter
Hour-by-hour comparison
China office hours (9:00–18:00) Night where you are (23:00–7:00) Current hour
How to use the Current Time in China
- Read the live clock: the big clock is the current time in China (Beijing Time), with the date, UTC offset and DST status below it.
- Check the difference: the Compared with card uses your device time zone; pick another zone to compare China with somewhere else.
- Pick a city to see today's sunrise, sunset, solar noon and day length there on Beijing Time.
- Convert a time: choose a direction, enter a date and time, and copy the result for an email or invite.
- Plan a call with the hour-by-hour table: green hours are China office hours, shaded hours are night where you are.
One time zone for a country five time zones wide
Mainland China stretches from about 73°E in western Xinjiang to about 135°E on the Amur River, wide enough for roughly five solar time zones. Since 1949, however, the whole country has run on a single official clock: China Standard Time (CST), better known as Beijing Time, UTC+8. The reference meridian is 120°E, which passes close to Shanghai and Hangzhou. Hong Kong (HKT), Macau and Taiwan are on UTC+8 too, so their clocks match Beijing even though they keep separate zone names.
Because the clock ignores longitude, the sun behaves very differently across China. In Harbin, east of 120°E, the sun can rise before 4:00 in June. In Kashgar, about 44° west of the reference meridian, local solar noon falls close to 15:00 and summer sunsets come after 22:00. That is why many people in Xinjiang also use the unofficial Xinjiang Time (UTC+6) for daily life, while trains, flights and government offices stay on Beijing Time. Pick Lhasa, Ürümqi or Kashgar in the sunrise card above to see the effect.
China tried daylight saving time from 1986 to 1991, moving clocks to UTC+9 in summer, then abandoned it. Today there is no DST, so the time difference to China only changes when your country changes its clocks.
China time compared with major cities
| City | Difference from China (northern winter) | Difference from China (northern summer) | When it is 9:00 in Beijing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (PST / PDT) | China is 16 h ahead | China is 15 h ahead | 17:00 / 18:00 the previous day |
| New York (EST / EDT) | China is 13 h ahead | China is 12 h ahead | 20:00 / 21:00 the previous day |
| London (GMT / BST) | China is 8 h ahead | China is 7 h ahead | 01:00 / 02:00 the same day |
| Berlin, Paris (CET / CEST) | China is 7 h ahead | China is 6 h ahead | 02:00 / 03:00 |
| Dubai (GST) | China is 4 h ahead | China is 4 h ahead | 05:00 |
| New Delhi (IST) | China is 2 h 30 min ahead | China is 2 h 30 min ahead | 06:30 |
| Singapore, Manila, Perth | Same time | Same time | 09:00 |
| Seoul, Tokyo (KST / JST) | 1 h behind Korea and Japan | 1 h behind Korea and Japan | 10:00 |
| Sydney (AEDT / AEST) | 3 h behind Sydney | 2 h behind Sydney | 12:00 / 11:00 |
"Northern summer" means roughly mid-March to early November, when the US and Europe use daylight saving time. Sydney's summer time runs the other way, from early October to early April.
Tips for calling or meeting with China
- Best overlap with the US East Coast: 20:00–22:00 in New York is 8:00–10:00 (EDT) or 9:00–11:00 (EST) the next morning in Beijing.
- Best overlap with Europe: 8:00–10:00 in London or Berlin lands in the Chinese afternoon (14:00–18:00).
- Write the date as well as the time: China is ahead of the Americas by half a day, so "Tuesday 9:00 Beijing" is still Monday evening in the US.
- Watch the long holidays: Chinese New Year (late January or February, about a week) and Golden Week (October 1–7) close most offices; working weekends are often scheduled around them.
- The zone name to use in calendars and code is
Asia/Shanghai(there is no separate Asia/Beijing zone).
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is China in?
All of mainland China uses China Standard Time, also called Beijing Time, which is UTC+8. The IANA time zone name is Asia/Shanghai. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are also on UTC+8.
Does China use daylight saving time?
No. China used summer time from 1986 to 1991 and then dropped it. Today the clocks stay on UTC+8 all year, so the difference to China changes only when your own country changes its clocks.
Why does China have only one time zone?
China spans about 60 degrees of longitude, roughly five solar time zones, but since 1949 the whole country has officially used Beijing Time to keep one national standard. In the far west this means the sun rises and sets very late by the clock.
What is Xinjiang Time?
Xinjiang Time is an unofficial local time of UTC+6, two hours behind Beijing Time, used by many people in Xinjiang in daily life. Official business, flights and trains in Xinjiang run on Beijing Time.
How many hours ahead of the US is China?
China is 12 hours ahead of New York in summer (EDT) and 13 hours ahead in winter (EST), and 15 hours ahead of Los Angeles in summer (PDT) and 16 hours in winter (PST). The tool shows the exact current difference for your zone.
What are typical business hours in China?
Offices commonly work about 9:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday with a lunch break around 12:00 to 13:30. Many businesses close for several days around Chinese New Year and the National Day holiday (October 1 to 7).
How accurate is this clock?
The time comes from your device clock combined with the time zone rules built into your browser. If your device syncs with an internet time server, the display is accurate to within a second.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.