86 is the country calling code for China.
China is a country on the continent of Asia. The capital city of China is Beijing.
How to Call China from the UK
To call a telephone number in China from the UK:
- Dial the international call prefix. For calls from the UK this is 00 (or '+' from mobile phones).
- Dial the country code for China - 86.
- Dial the number of the person/business, omitting the first zero if there is one.
Area Codes and Landlines
In China, landline numbers begin with an area code and end with an eight-digit number.
The largest cities have two-digit area codes. Area codes for smaller cities and towns are three digits in length.
The following are the area codes for a selection of cities in China:
- Beijing – 10
- Changchun – 431
- Changsha – 731
- Chengdu – 28
- Chongqing – 23
- Dalian – 411
- Dongguan – 769
- Foshan -757
- Guangzhou – 20
- Hangzhou – 571
- Harbin – 451
- Hefei – 551
- Jinan – 531
- Kunming
- Nanjing -25
- Qingdao – 532
- Shanghai – 21
- Shantou – 754
- Shenyang – 24
- Shenzhen – 755
- Suzhou – 512
- Tianjin – 22
- Urumqi – 991
- Wuhan – 27
- Xi’an – 29
- Zhengzhou – 371
When dialling a landline number from another area within China or from a Chinese mobile phone, a 0 prefix is used before the area code. When calling from a landline in the same area or from abroad, the 0 prefix is not required.
For example, to call a number in Beijing XXXXXXXX from abroad:
- Dial the international call prefix (00/+), China’s country code (86), the area code omitting the 0 and finally the subscriber number, e.g., 00-86-10-XXXXXXXX or +86-10-XXXXXXXX.

Time Difference
When making a telephone call to China from the UK, please note there is a time difference between China and the UK.
The time now in China is . The date is .
The time now in the UK is . The date is .
The time difference between China and UK (United Kingdom) is 7 hours.
Exchange Rate
The Chinese yuan (CNY) is the currency used in China.
The current exchange rates between the Chinese yuan and the British pound (CNY to GBP, GBP to CNY) are:
- 1 Chinese yuan (CNY) = 0.119 GBP
- 1 British pound (GBP) = 8.402 CNY
Exchange rates on this page were last updated on .
China – Facts and Figures
According to data from the World Bank, the population of China in recent years is:
- 2018 - 1,392,730,000
- 2017 - 1,386,395,000
- 2016 - 1,378,665,000
- 2015 - 1,371,220,000
- 2014 - 1,364,270,000
- 2013 - 1,357,380,000
Map of China
The map below shows the location of China.
