Offset
The time difference between China Standard Time and Eastern Time is 12 hours.
China Standard Time (CST) is ahead of Eastern Time (EDT).
CST: UTC+8
EDT: UTC-4
Eastern Time is currently observing daylight saving time; China Standard Time is not.
When to schedule
Standard business hours (9 AM–5 PM, Mon–Fri) in China Standard Time and Eastern Time don't overlap on the same weekday. Eastern Time is 12 hours behind China Standard Time.
With some flexibility, there’s a workable window outside standard hours:
- 7 PM–8 PM in China Standard Time (7 AM–8 AM in Eastern Time) — suggest 7:00 PM China Standard Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time).
This means an early start or late finish for one side, but it’s a reasonable slot for a one-off meeting.
This window may shift by an hour during daylight saving time.
Public holidays in 2026
National public holidays can affect availability — a counterpart is likely off work on their own holidays, so it's worth planning meetings and deadlines around them.
China
- New Year's DayThu, Jan 1
- Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)Tue, Feb 17
- Labour DayFri, May 1
- Dragon Boat FestivalFri, Jun 19
- Mid-Autumn FestivalFri, Sep 25
- National DayThu, Oct 1
United States
- New Year's DayThu, Jan 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. DayMon, Jan 19
- Presidents DayMon, Feb 16
- Memorial DayMon, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence DayFri, Jun 19
- Independence DayFri, Jul 3
- Labour DayMon, Sep 7
- Columbus DayMon, Oct 12
- Veterans DayWed, Nov 11
- Thanksgiving DayThu, Nov 26
- Christmas DayFri, Dec 25
About these zones
China Standard Time is also known as CST. To call China, dial +86.
Eastern Time is also known as EST, or EDT. To call United States, dial +1.
Eastern Time is approximately 7,350 miles north of China Standard Time.
Quick reference
Full 24-hour conversion table — tap any time to open it in the converter.
| CST-CHINA | EST | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 am | 12:00 pm | -1 day |
| 1:00 am | 1:00 pm | -1 day |
| 2:00 am | 2:00 pm | -1 day |
| 3:00 am | 3:00 pm | -1 day |
| 4:00 am | 4:00 pm | -1 day |
| 5:00 am | 5:00 pm | -1 day |
| 6:00 am | 6:00 pm | -1 day |
| 7:00 am | 7:00 pm | -1 day |
| 8:00 am | 8:00 pm | -1 day |
| 9:00 am | 9:00 pm | -1 day |
| 10:00 am | 10:00 pm | -1 day |
| 11:00 am | 11:00 pm | -1 day |
| 12:00 pm | 12:00 am | Same day |
| 1:00 pm | 1:00 am | Same day |
| 2:00 pm | 2:00 am | Same day |
| 3:00 pm | 3:00 am | Same day |
| 4:00 pm | 4:00 am | Same day |
| 5:00 pm | 5:00 am | Same day |
| 6:00 pm | 6:00 am | Same day |
| 7:00 pm | 7:00 am | Same day |
| 8:00 pm | 8:00 am | Same day |
| 9:00 pm | 9:00 am | Same day |
| 10:00 pm | 10:00 am | Same day |
| 11:00 pm | 11:00 am | Same day |
Daylight saving time
Eastern Time observes daylight saving time; China Standard Time does not. The offset between the two zones changes when Eastern Time transitions: on Sunday, November 1, 2026, clocks fall back from EDT to EST.
See the daylight saving time page for transition dates across every time zone.
Daylight today
- Sunrise
- 4:51 AM
- Sunset
- 6:56 PM
- Day length
- 14h 5m
- Sunrise
- 5:27 AM
- Sunset
- 8:24 PM
- Day length
- 14h 58m
Daylight overlap: 1h 29m — 5:27 PM–6:56 PM in China Standard Time (5:27 AM–6:56 AM in Eastern Time). Both locations are in daylight during this window.
Cities in these zones
Cities in China Standard Time
Cities in Eastern Time
Browse all cities to see the current local time anywhere.
Airports in these zones
Airports in China Standard Time
- PVG
- SHA
- PEK
- PKX
- SZX
- CAN
- FUO
- CTU
- TFU
- TSN
Airports in Eastern Time
- EWR
- HPN
- JFK
- LGA
- TEB
- ILG
- PHL
- TTN
- CLT
- USA
Related conversions
Common conversions
- What is 9:00 am CST-CHINA in EST?
- 9:00 am CST-CHINA is 9:00 pm EST, the previous day.
- What is 12:00 pm CST-CHINA in EST?
- 12:00 pm CST-CHINA is 12:00 am EST.
- What is 12:30 pm CST-CHINA in EST?
- 12:30 pm CST-CHINA is 12:30 am EST.
- What is 2:00 pm CST-CHINA in EST?
- 2:00 pm CST-CHINA is 2:00 am EST.
- What is 5:00 pm CST-CHINA in EST?
- 5:00 pm CST-CHINA is 5:00 am EST.
- What is 11:30 pm CST-CHINA in EST?
- 11:30 pm CST-CHINA is 11:30 am EST.