Shanghai to United Kingdom
-7hShanghai
CSTSOURCEUnited Kingdom
BSTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
CST and BST on the World Map
The map below highlights the CST (China Standard Time) and BST (Greenwich Mean Time) timezone regions across the globe.
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.
GMT – Greenwich Mean Time
UTC+00:00Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is the same as UTC+00:00.
- •GMT is based on the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) passing through Greenwich, London.
- •The Royal Observatory in Greenwich has been the reference point for GMT since 1884.
- •GMT and UTC are often used interchangeably, but UTC is based on atomic clocks.
- •Iceland uses GMT year-round and never observes daylight saving time.
- •The UK switches from GMT to BST (British Summer Time) in late March each year.
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.
Shanghai to United Kingdom Time Difference – Complete Guide
Shanghai runs on China Standard Time (CST) at UTC+08:00. United Kingdom runs on British Summer Time (BST) at UTC+01:00, also currently on daylight saving time. That puts Shanghai 7 hours behind United Kingdom — a difference of -7h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in Shanghai it is 2:00 AM in United Kingdom. Midnight in Shanghai is 5:00 PM in United Kingdom.United Kingdom observes daylight saving time while Shanghai does not, so the gap narrows or widens by an hour part of the year.
Shanghai to United Kingdom time conversion table
| Shanghai (CST) | United Kingdom (BST) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 5:00 PM | previous day |
| 6:00 AM | 11:00 PM | previous day |
| 7:00 AM | 12:00 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 1:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 2:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 5:00 AM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 8:00 AM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 10:00 AM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 11:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 2:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert Shanghai to United Kingdom time
- Scheduling a call from Shanghai to United Kingdom: a 10:00 AM start in Shanghai lands at 3:00 AM in United Kingdom, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both Shanghai and United Kingdom are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM CST time (9:00 AM–10:00 AM BST). That is roughly 1 hours of usable overlap.
- Keeping family and friends in sync: knowing that 8:00 PM in Shanghai is 1:00 PM in United Kingdom makes it easy to avoid calling at 3 AM.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM CST" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a -7h gap is not.
- Block 4:00 PM–5:00 PM CST as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from Shanghai and need United Kingdom colleagues present.
- United Kingdom: Clocks fall back on Sun, Oct 25, 2026. Any meeting series spanning that date will shift by an hour in local time.
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.
About GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the clock time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, which sits on the Prime Meridian (0° longitude). GMT serves as the reference point from which all other time zones are calculated. The United Kingdom uses GMT during winter months and switches to British Summer Time (BST, UTC+01:00) from late March to late October. Several West African nations use GMT year-round. GMT is often used interchangeably with UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), although technically they are different – UTC is based on atomic clocks while GMT is based on Earth's rotation.
Best time to call between Shanghai and United Kingdom
Both Shanghai and United Kingdom sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 4:00 PM–5:00 PM CST, which is 9:00 AM–10:00 AM BST. That gives roughly 1 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
Shanghai and United Kingdom overlap for only 60 minutes (4:00 PM–5:00 PM CST), so meetings have to be booked precisely.
Shanghai is 7 hours behind United Kingdom (CST UTC+08:00 → BST UTC+01:00). The shared working window is 4:00 PM–5:00 PM CST. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
🕐 Daylight Saving Time Info
Shanghai
Does not observe DST
United Kingdom
☀ Currently in DST
Standard: UTC+00:00 · DST: UTC+01:00
Clocks fall back on Sun, Oct 25, 2026
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 Shanghai and United Kingdom?
Shanghai (CST, UTC+08:00) is 7 hours behind United Kingdom (BST, UTC+01:00). The gap is currently -7h.
How do I convert Shanghai time to United Kingdom time?
Add -7h to Shanghai local time. For example, 9:00 AM in Shanghai is 2:00 AM in United Kingdom.
What time is it in United Kingdom right now?
United Kingdom uses BST at UTC+01:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the -7h offset from Shanghai.
What is the best time to call United Kingdom from Shanghai?
Call between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM CST — that maps to 9:00 AM–10:00 AM BST and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is behind, Shanghai or United Kingdom?
Shanghai is 7 hours behind United Kingdom. When it is 12:00 PM in Shanghai it is 5:00 AM in United Kingdom.
Do Shanghai and United Kingdom use different time zones?
Shanghai (China) uses CST at UTC+08:00, while United Kingdom (United Kingdom) uses BST at UTC+01:00. The IANA identifiers are Asia/Shanghai and Europe/London.
Does daylight saving time affect the Shanghai–United Kingdom difference?
Yes at the moment: United Kingdom is on daylight saving time and Shanghai is not, so the -7h gap shifts by an hour when exactly one of them changes clocks.
Which other cities share Shanghai's time zone?
CST also covers Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Taipei, Wuhan and 2 more.
Which countries use CST, Shanghai's zone?
CST is used in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan.
Is there a day difference between Shanghai and United Kingdom?
Not normally. The -7h gap only pushes the date over the previous day.
What is the time difference between Shanghai and United Kingdom?
United Kingdom is -7h from Shanghai.
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 timezone is United Kingdom in?
United Kingdom operates on its local timezone.
What are the business hours in Shanghai?
Standard business hours in Shanghai are 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
Which countries use CST (China Standard Time)?
CST is used in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan.
Does CST observe daylight saving time?
No, CST does not observe daylight saving time and remains at UTC+08:00 year-round.
What are some interesting facts about CST?
China uses a single time zone despite spanning 5 geographical zones. In Xinjiang (western China), sunset can be as late as midnight in summer.
Which cities are in the GMT timezone?
Major cities in the GMT timezone include London, Dublin, Lisbon, Accra, Reykjavik, Edinburgh, Casablanca, Dakar.
What is the UTC offset for GMT?
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is at UTC+00:00. During daylight saving time, it shifts to BST.
What should I know about the GMT timezone?
GMT is based on the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) passing through Greenwich, London. The Royal Observatory in Greenwich has been the reference point for GMT since 1884.
When is it midnight in Shanghai, what time is it in United Kingdom?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in Shanghai (CST), it is -7h later in United Kingdom (GMT).
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