Network & carriers
China's mobile market is led by China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom; China Broadnet became a fourth licensed operator in 2019 and issues numbers starting 192.
+86 · CN · UTC+8
China
Country Code & Virtual Numbers
China's +86 code serves well over a billion mobile subscribers across four licensed mobile operators — China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and, since 2019, China Broadnet. Capital: Beijing · Business hours: 8:00 PM–4:00 AM EST.
// The Basics
What is the +86 country code?
Numbering in China is administered by Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
Numbering format
Chinese mobile numbers are 11 digits and always start with 1, with no digits dropped beyond the country code when dialing from abroad.
Calling culture
Hierarchy matters on Chinese business calls — identifying the most senior person on the line and addressing them first is standard etiquette.
Did you know
China uses a single time zone (UTC+8) nationwide, and its public holidays are extended by moving working days onto nearby Saturdays or Sundays — so some weekends are normal working days.
// Quick Facts
A quick read on China numbers.
Chinese mobile numbers follow a strict 11-digit format starting with 1, making it easy to tell a mobile number apart from a shorter landline entry.
From the US: 011 86 10 XXXX XXXX
// Reference
Dialing +86: numbers, codes and rules
- Trunk prefix
- 0 — used domestically, dropped after the country code.
- Number length
- 11 digits for mobile numbers
- Mobile numbers
- 11 digits starting with 1 (e.g. +86 13X XXXX XXXX)
- Landlines
- Area code (written without the 0, e.g. 10 for Beijing) plus the local number: +86 10 XXXX XXXX
- Major area codes
- Beijing 10
- Shanghai 21
- Guangzhou 20
- Chengdu 28
- Dialing in
- From the US: 011 86 10 XXXX XXXX
- Dialing out
- 00 is the international prefix from China.
- Useful numbers
- Police: 110
- Fire: 119
- Ambulance: 120
- Traffic accidents: 122
- Time zone
- China Standard Time (UTC+8), one time zone nationwide
- Daylight saving
- No daylight saving time (last observed in 1991).
- Working week
- Monday–Friday, but some Saturdays or Sundays become working days to extend public holidays; weekend: Saturday–Sunday
- In 2026 make-up working days fall on 4 Jan, 14 Feb, 28 Feb, 9 May, 20 Sep and 10 Oct, per the State Council holiday notice.
- Chinese carriers offer blocking of incoming international calls as an anti-fraud measure, so some subscribers may not receive calls from abroad.
- China Broadnet became a fourth licensed mobile operator in 2019 and issues numbers starting 192.
Reported scam patterns
- Chinese embassies warn that fraudsters impersonate the police anti-fraud line 96110 and tell Chinese citizens abroad they are under investigation in order to extort money. source
Sources
- ITU E.164 numbering plan updates for China (MIIT communications 2017–2020)
- Xinhua: State Council notice on 2026 public holiday arrangements
- Beijing Municipal Government: emergency numbers
- IANA tz database (Asia/Shanghai)
- Sixth Tone: Chinese telecoms block incoming international calls to fight scams (May 2022)
- China Daily: China Broadnet enters 5G market
- Chinese Embassy in Germany via MFA consular portal: 96110 impersonation warning (7 Apr 2023)
- Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in China (pointer for area codes and landline lengths)
- US Department of State – US Embassy and consulates in China (contact numbers)
Best time to call China from the US
China is on UTC+8 · Business hours = – EST · Mon–Fri
// Why a Virtual Number
Why get a China virtual number?
A +86 virtual number gives your business instant local presence in China — without the overhead.
Local caller ID in China
When you call from your virtual China number, contacts see a local +86 number — dramatically improving answer rates.
No office needed
Establish a local presence in China without renting space, hiring locally, or installing any hardware.
Instant credibility
In China's carrier-dominated market, a recognizable domestic number stands out clearly against the flood of spam and international robocalls.
Routes to any device
Calls to your China number ring your team on mobile, desktop, or desk phone — wherever they work.
Frequently Asked
China questions answered.
Answers about China's carrier landscape, hierarchy-aware calling etiquette, and getting a local +86 number.
Dial 011 (the US exit code), then 86, then the national number, leaving out the leading 0 used for domestic calls. Number length: 11 digits for mobile numbers.
Start calling China, not tomorrow.
Get a virtual China number or make direct international calls to +86 — active in under ten minutes.