ACST to Shanghai
-1h 30mACST
ACSTSOURCEShanghai
CSTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
ACST and CST on the World Map
The map below highlights the ACST (Australian Central Standard Time) and CST (China Standard Time) timezone regions across the globe.
ACST – Australian Central Standard Time
UTC+09:30Australian Central Standard Time (ACST, UTC+09:30) covers South Australia and the Northern Territory, on a half-hour offset.
- •ACST uses a half-hour offset: UTC+09:30.
- •South Australia moves to ACDT (UTC+10:30) in summer; the Northern Territory does not.
- •Adelaide and Darwin are 30 minutes apart during daylight saving, level in winter.
- •Adelaide is one of the few major cities on a 30-minute offset.
CST – China Standard Time
UTC+08:00China Standard Time (CST) covers all of mainland China, 8 hours ahead of UTC.
- •China uses a single time zone despite spanning 5 geographical zones.
- •In Xinjiang (western China), sunset can be as late as midnight in summer.
- •China abolished daylight saving time in 1991.
- •The Shanghai Stock Exchange operates on CST/Beijing Time.
About Shanghai
WikipediaShanghai operates on China Standard Time (CST), UTC+8. As China's economic powerhouse and home to the SSE, Shanghai time is essential for global investors.
The Maglev train from Shanghai airport reaches 431 km/h, the fastest commercial train in the world.
Understanding the -1h 30m Gap: ACST vs Shanghai
ACST runs on Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) at UTC+09:30. Shanghai runs on China Standard Time (CST) at UTC+08:00. That puts ACST 1 hour 30 minutes behind Shanghai — a difference of -1h 30m at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in ACST it is 7:30 AM in Shanghai. Midnight in ACST is 10:30 PM in Shanghai. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
ACST to Shanghai time conversion table
| ACST (ACST) | Shanghai (CST) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 10:30 PM | previous day |
| 6:00 AM | 4:30 AM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 5:30 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 6:30 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 7:30 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 10:30 AM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 1:30 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 3:30 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 4:30 PM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 7:30 PM | same day |
Why people convert ACST to Shanghai time
- Scheduling a call from ACST to Shanghai: a 10:00 AM start in ACST lands at 8:30 AM in Shanghai, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both ACST and Shanghai are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM ACST time (9:00 AM–3:30 PM CST). That is roughly 6 hours 30 minutes of usable overlap.
- Keeping family and friends in sync: knowing that 8:00 PM in ACST is 6:30 PM in Shanghai makes it easy to avoid calling at 3 AM.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM ACST" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a -1h 30m gap is not.
- Block 10:30 AM–5:00 PM ACST as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from ACST and need Shanghai colleagues present.
About ACST (Australian Central Standard Time)
Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) is the half-hour offset of UTC+09:30 used across South Australia and the Northern Territory, taking in Adelaide and Darwin. South Australia moves to Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT, UTC+10:30) from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April, but the Northern Territory does not observe daylight saving — so Adelaide and Darwin sit 30 minutes apart in summer and level with each other in winter. The half-hour offset means Adelaide is 30 minutes behind Sydney in winter and level with it during daylight saving, which regularly catches out travellers and meeting planners.
About CST (China Standard Time)
China Standard Time (CST, also known as Beijing Time) is used across all of mainland China despite the country spanning five geographical time zones. This single-timezone policy was adopted in 1949. China does not observe daylight saving time. CST is shared with Hong Kong (HKT), Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, making UTC+08:00 one of the most used offsets in the world.
Best time to call between ACST and Shanghai
Both ACST and Shanghai sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 10:30 AM–5:00 PM ACST, which is 9:00 AM–3:30 PM CST. That gives roughly 6 hours and 30 minutes of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
ACST and Shanghai share 6 hours of working-hours overlap (10:30 AM–5:00 PM ACST), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
ACST is 1 hour 30 minutes behind Shanghai (ACST UTC+09:30 → CST UTC+08:00). The shared working window is 10:30 AM–5:00 PM ACST. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
🕐 Daylight Saving Time Info
ACST
❄ Currently in Standard Time
Standard: UTC+09:30 · DST: UTC+10:30
Clocks spring forward on Sat, Oct 3, 2026
Shanghai
Does not observe DST
Learn More About Time
Dive deeper into the fascinating world of timekeeping, time zones, and how they shape our global society:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between ACST and Shanghai?
ACST (ACST, UTC+09:30) is 1 hour 30 minutes behind Shanghai (CST, UTC+08:00). The gap is currently -1h 30m.
How do I convert ACST time to Shanghai time?
Add -1h 30m to ACST local time. For example, 9:00 AM in ACST is 7:30 AM in Shanghai.
What time is it in Shanghai right now?
Shanghai uses CST at UTC+08:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the -1h 30m offset from ACST.
What is the best time to call Shanghai from ACST?
Call between 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM ACST — that maps to 9:00 AM–3:30 PM CST and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is behind, ACST or Shanghai?
ACST is 1 hour 30 minutes behind Shanghai. When it is 12:00 PM in ACST it is 10:30 AM in Shanghai.
Do ACST and Shanghai use different time zones?
ACST uses ACST at UTC+09:30, while Shanghai (China) uses CST at UTC+08:00. The IANA identifiers are Australia/Adelaide and Asia/Shanghai.
Does daylight saving time affect the ACST–Shanghai difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the -1h 30m offset between ACST and Shanghai is fixed all year.
Which other cities share ACST's time zone?
ACST also covers Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs, Mount Gambier.
Which countries use ACST, ACST's zone?
ACST is used in Australia (South Australia, Northern Territory).
Is there a day difference between ACST and Shanghai?
Not normally. The -1h 30m gap only pushes the date over the previous day.
What is the time difference between ACST and Shanghai?
Shanghai is -1h 30m from ACST.
What timezone is ACST in?
ACST operates on its local timezone.
What timezone is Shanghai in?
Shanghai operates on China Standard Time (CST), UTC+8. As China's economic powerhouse and home to the SSE, Shanghai time is essential for global investors.
What are the business hours in Shanghai?
Standard business hours in Shanghai are 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
Which countries use ACST (Australian Central Standard Time)?
ACST is used in Australia (South Australia, Northern Territory).
Does ACST observe daylight saving time?
Yes, ACST switches to ACDT during summer months.
What are some interesting facts about ACST?
ACST uses a half-hour offset: UTC+09:30. South Australia moves to ACDT (UTC+10:30) in summer; the Northern Territory does not.
Which cities are in the CST timezone?
Major cities in the CST timezone include Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Taipei, Wuhan.
What is the UTC offset for CST?
China Standard Time (CST) is at UTC+08:00.
What should I know about the CST timezone?
China uses a single time zone despite spanning 5 geographical zones. In Xinjiang (western China), sunset can be as late as midnight in summer.
When is it midnight in ACST, what time is it in Shanghai?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in ACST (ACST), it is -1h 30m later in Shanghai (CST).
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