Section II: General Information

Weather
Time
Electricity
Weights & Measures
Currency
Making Telephone Calls
Internet Access
Post
Other Helpful Links/Sites

Weather

Weather forecasts for cities in China are available on the Internet. For live weather reports, see www.weather.com.

Time

Throughout China, time is set to Beijing time, which is Greenwich Mean Time plus eight hours. All of China operates in a single time zone. During Daylight Savings Time in the United States (roughly March-October), China is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST). Between November and early March, China is 13 hours ahead of EST in the United States.

Electricity

220V, 50 AC; plugs can be three-pronged angled, three-pronged round, two flat pins, or two narrow round pins. Most computers can adapt to either 110V or 220V. Check with the manufacturer for details.

Weights & Measures

Metric
Traditional Chinese	US Imperial	Metric
1 jin (catty)	= 1.102 pounds	= 0.5 kilogram
1 mu	= 0.1647 acre	= 0.067 hectare
1 li	= 0.311 mile	= 0.5 kilometer

Currency

Renminbi (RMB; also called the yuan)
1 yuan = 10 jiao (also called mao)
1 jiao = 10 fen

Currency Valuation The basic unit of the RMB is the yuan, also referred to as kuai. The RMB/USD exchange rate generally hovers around $1 to RMB 7. For the most up-to-date exchange rate, visit www.x-rates.com/calculator.html. China's currency is not readily convertible in many countries outside of China. Travelers should hold on to exchange receipts to change excess RMB back into US dollars before leaving China.

Cash Cash is the primary form of payment in China. Bills commonly circulated in China are denominated in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 yuan. Paper notes are also issued in units of 10 fen (1 jiao); 20 fen (2 jiao); and 50 fen (5 jiao). Coins are denominated in 1, 2, and 5 fen; 1 and 5 jiao; and 1 yuan. These coins are used more widely in Southern China, e.g. the Shanghai area. Fen, as the smallest currency, are sometimes used on price tags in large supermarkets.

Traveler's Checks If traveling in large cities and tourist areas where they can be easily cashed, traveler's checks are useful because they protect money from theft and loss. Travelers should also note that banks often give a better rate of exchange for traveler's checks than for cash.

Credit Cards China is largely still a cash society. International credit cards, such as Visa, American Express, and MasterCard, are gradually gaining acceptance, however. In the largest cities and, especially in international hotels, restaurants, and tourist areas, businesses now accept international credit cards.

ATMs Although ATMs are now commonplace in China, they should not be relied upon as a sole source of cash. Only a few banks accept international ATM cards, most noteworthy of which are Bank of China and HSBC. Citibank also has several branches in China. To avoid ATM fees, check to see if your bank has a partnership with a Chinese bank. For example, at the time of this writing, Bank of America account holders could use China Construction Bank ATMs free of charge.

Cash Advance Bank of China has exchange desks at all airports, hotels, and friendship stores, where you can get a cash advance for roughly a 3 percent service fee.

Making Telephone Calls

Overseas Calls to China To call Beijing from the United States, dial "011," then the country code "86," then the city code "10," and then the telephone number. To call Shanghai from the United States, follow the same procedure, substituting "21" for the city code. For example, to call USCBC's Beijing office from the United States, dial "011-86-10-6592-0727."

Overseas Calls from China To call the United States from China, dial "00" to denote an international call, then dial "1," the area code, and the seven-digit telephone number. For example, to call USCBC's Washington, DC, office from China, dial "00-1-202-429-0340." To place calls using US carriers, dial "10811" for AT&T, "10812" for MCI, and "10813" for Sprint and then follow the prompts.

Making an international call from China is still very expensive (RMB 15/min, or $1.81/min), but using a calling card (or IP card) which are available at most news stands will help you save money on international calls. Calling cards normally costs about RMB 2/min, or US$0.24.

Long-Distance Calls within China To make long-distance domestic calls within China dial "0," then the city code, and then the telephone number. For instance, to call the Council's Beijing office from Shanghai, dial "0-10-6592-0727."

Local Calls within China Simply dial the telephone number to make a local call in China. To call the Council's Beijing office from another location in Beijing, dial "6592-0727."

VOIP Calling Many firms now choose to communicate with their rep offices overseas via Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology. Multiple service providers, such as Skype, provide a free downloadable software interface that facilitates convenient and inexpensive international calling. Calls can be made to any phone or computer. Skype also provides free video calling.

Internet Access

Most major cities have public servers which can be accessed via a dial-up modem connection. Public servers are inexpensive and can be dialed from most locations, but access is usually quite slow. Broadband is available in four- and five-star hotels in major cities, and in many Internet cafes, and is becoming popular elsewhere. Wireless access can be found in the business centers of some major hotels. Internet access differs by accommodation, and should be confirmed prior to making reservations. In addition, some Starbucks shops, found in most major Chinese cities, offer free Internet access.

Post

Airmail letters and postcards generally take five to 10 business days to reach their destinations. Domestic post generally takes a couple of days. Large branches of China Post operate an Express Mail Service (EMS). Private carriers, such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL, are stationed in large cities.

Other

American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing (www.amcham-china.org.cn), Shanghai (www.amcham-shanghai.org), and Hong Kong (www.amcham.org.hk)

Visit USCBC's Links page for a comprehensive list of China-related websites.

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Last Updated: 04-Dec-08