Current time in China
19:00:00GMT+8
Thursday 1 October 2026
China is 7 hours ahead of the UK right now.
In the UK it is 12:00 BST. Your device: 12:00 (Same as UK).
China time zone
The whole of mainland China runs on Beijing Time, officially China Standard Time (CST), which is UTC+8. It has no daylight saving time, so the clocks never change. Phones and computers use the IANA zone Asia/Shanghai: the time zone database names zones after the largest city, not the capital.
China stretches across about 60 degrees of longitude, enough for four or five time zones. A five-zone plan, from UTC+5:30 in the far west to UTC+8:30 in the north-east, was proposed in 1918 and made official in 1948, but was mostly followed only on the coast. After 1949 the People's Republic used Beijing Time everywhere. China tried summer time from 1986 to 1991, moving the clocks forward from mid-April (early May in 1986) to mid-September, and dropped it in 1992.
Time difference between the UK and China
China stays on UTC+8 all year, so the gap only changes when the UK clocks do: 8 hours while the UK is on GMT and 7 hours during British Summer Time.
| Period | UK clocks | China vs UK | Noon in the UK is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January to 29 March 2026 | GMT (UTC+0) | 8 hours ahead | 20:00 |
| 29 March to 25 October 2026 | BST (UTC+1) | 7 hours ahead | 19:00 |
| 25 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 | GMT (UTC+0) | 8 hours ahead | 20:00 |
| 28 March to 31 October 2027 | BST (UTC+1) | 7 hours ahead | 19:00 |
| 31 October 2027 to 26 March 2028 | GMT (UTC+0) | 8 hours ahead | 20:00 |
Best times to call China from the UK
| UK time | China, late Oct to late Mar | China, late Mar to late Oct | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 16:00 | 15:00 | Reaching suppliers before their working day ends |
| 10:00 | 18:00 | 17:00 | Last chance for an office call |
| 13:00 | 21:00 | 20:00 | Evening calls to friends and family |
| 23:00 | 07:00 next day | 06:00 next day | Catching people at breakfast |
With a 9am to 6pm working day in Beijing or Shanghai, office hours overlap with the UK for about an hour in winter (9am to 10am UK time) and two hours in summer (9am to 11am). Send emails in the UK afternoon and they will be waiting at the start of the next Chinese working day.
Converting the time
A 9am video call from London on Monday 2 November 2026, when the UK is on GMT, starts at 5pm in Shanghai. The same 9am call on Tuesday 1 June 2027, with the UK on BST, starts at 4pm. To check another date, use the time zone converter; to find a slot for several cities, try the meeting planner.
Beijing Time and Xinjiang Time
In Xinjiang, in the far west, many people, especially Uyghurs, also use an unofficial Xinjiang Time (Ürümqi time) two hours behind Beijing. Flights, trains and government business stay on Beijing Time, so always check which one a local is using. Hong Kong and Macau have their own time zones but the same UTC+8 clock reading.
| Clock | Local time | Zone | Difference from UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing Time (official) | 19:00 | GMT+8 | +7 h |
| Xinjiang Time (unofficial) | 17:00 | GMT+6 | +5 h |
| Hong Kong and Macau | 19:00 | GMT+8 | +7 h |
Related pages
- World clockLive times in 25 cities and their gap from the UK.
- Time in Hong KongHKT, UTC+8, the same clock as Beijing.
- Time in TokyoJST, UTC+9, one hour ahead of China.
- Time in SingaporeSGT, UTC+8, shared with Malaysia.
- GMT time nowThe UK's winter time, and the base for every offset on this page.
- When the UK clocks changeExact dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is China in?
China uses China Standard Time, also called Beijing Time, which is UTC+8. One time zone covers the whole country. Phones and computers use the zone Asia/Shanghai.
Does China have daylight saving time?
No. China used summer time from 1986 to 1991 and has kept UTC+8 all year since 1992.
How many hours ahead of the UK is China?
China is 8 hours ahead of the UK while the UK is on GMT, from late October to late March, and 7 hours ahead during British Summer Time.
Is Hong Kong on the same time as Beijing?
Yes. Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China all use UTC+8 and none of them change their clocks.