What is the time difference between London and Shanghai?

Shanghai (CST, UTC+8) is 8 hours ahead of London in winter (GMT, UTC+0) and 7 hours ahead in summer (BST, UTC+1). China does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so the offset changes only when the UK shifts its clocks in spring and autumn.

Does Shanghai observe Daylight Saving Time?

No. China abolished DST in 1991 and has not used it since. Shanghai stays on CST (UTC+8) all year. Only London shifts its clocks, which is why the London-Shanghai gap alternates between 8 and 7 hours.

When does the offset change from 8 to 7 hours?

The UK moves clocks forward on the last Sunday in March at 01:00 GMT, entering BST (UTC+1). At that point Shanghai goes from 8 hours ahead to 7 hours ahead. The gap returns to 8 hours on the last Sunday in October at 02:00 BST when the UK reverts to GMT.

What are the best meeting times for London and Shanghai?

The overlap between standard business hours (09:00–18:00) is limited. When London is at 09:00 GMT it is 17:00 in Shanghai — late afternoon. A 09:00–10:00 London call (GMT) catches Shanghai at 17:00–18:00 CST, which is the most realistic overlap window.

Is this tool accurate for scheduling?

Yes. It uses the IANA timezone database embedded in your browser — the same source used by operating systems and calendar apps worldwide. Accuracy depends on your device clock being synchronized via NTP, which most devices do automatically.

In China, CST stands for China Standard Time (UTC+8), used across all of mainland China year-round. There is no Daylight Saving Time in China, so the offset from UTC never changes.

Time Difference: London to Shanghai

See the current time in London and Shanghai side by side, with the live UTC offset (CST is UTC+8 year-round), updated every second.

London, United Kingdom

--:--:--

GMT UTC+0

Shanghai, China

--:--:--

CST UTC+8

Current Offset

+8 hours

Shanghai is 8 hours ahead of London

Meeting Overlap Finder

Business hours (09:00–18:00) highlighted — best overlap shaded

London	Shanghai	Status

Convert London Time to Shanghai Time

Based on the current offset — updates automatically

London	Shanghai

Summary

This tool displays the live current time in both London (Europe/London — GMT in winter, BST in summer) and Shanghai (Asia/Shanghai — CST, UTC+8 year-round, no DST) side by side. Shanghai never observes Daylight Saving Time, so the offset between the two cities shifts twice a year: 8 hours ahead of London in winter (GMT) and 7 hours ahead in summer (BST). Use this tool to schedule calls with China, coordinate remote teams, or check whether Shanghai colleagues are still at work.

How it works

Your browser reads the current moment from your device clock.
It converts that moment to Europe/London time using the IANA timezone database built into modern browsers.
The same moment is converted to Asia/Shanghai time (CST, UTC+8).
The UTC offsets of both cities are compared to calculate the exact hour difference.
All three values — London time, Shanghai time, and the offset — refresh every second.
When London switches between GMT and BST, the displayed offset adjusts automatically from +8 to +7 hours.

Use cases

Scheduling video calls between London and Shanghai offices.
Checking if a colleague in Shanghai is still at their desk.
Planning UK-China travel and arrival time comparisons.
Remote teams coordinating daily standups across the UK and China.
Finding overlapping business hours for London-Shanghai meetings.
Verifying whether London is currently on GMT or BST.
Journalists checking broadcast times for live China events.
Students and teachers arranging online lessons between the UK and China.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu