How to Call China (+86) from Abroad

China dialling — what you need to know

China's country code +86 covers the entire mainland, with a detailed area code structure across its provinces and municipalities. Beijing dials on 010, Shanghai on 021, Guangzhou on 020 and Shenzhen on 0755 — area codes range from two to four digits depending on the city tier, and the trailing subscriber number adjusts in length so the total always reaches eleven digits for mobile or ten for landline. Mobile numbers from China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom each carry distinct prefixes: China Mobile runs 135–139 and 150–153; China Unicom uses 130–132 and 155–156; China Telecom covers 133 and 180–189 — all formatted internationally as +86 1XX XXXX XXXX. China Standard Time (CST, UTC+8) applies nationwide — a single zone for a country spanning five natural time zones — placing calls from South Africa across a six-hour offset. Business hours in major commercial centres run Monday to Friday 09:00–18:00 CST, though manufacturing hubs in Guangdong and Zhejiang often operate six days a week.