Telephone Calls

China's telephone system is becoming more and more efficient and less expensive.  Direct long-distance dials (DDD) and International calls (IDD) can be made from hotel rooms or roadside telephone kiosks.  Telegram, fax and telex facilities are available in hotels, post offices and telecommunication centers.  Local calls are typically free from your hotel, while long distance calls made between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. the next morning are often charged at half the daytime rate.

Most hotels in China do not charge a huge markup on the cost of telephone calls, as is common practice in many other countries.  You will likely find that your hotel phone bill will be relatively inexpensive, particularly for local and domestic long distance calls.  Many hotels will offer special rates to business guests.  For instance, if you happen to be a Golden Circle member of the Shangri-La Hotel chain, you will be charged on your telephone calls at cost.  Nevertheless, make sure that you first check the rates with your hotel before spending hours on the phone.

For calls to the U.S., you can use AT&T or MCI WorldCom calling cards, which are inexpensive if you have already registered with the World Calling Plan.  (If not, your calls may prove to be very costly.)  If you use AT&T or MCI WorldCom, you should confirm the current status of your calling plan before making calls.  Sometimes these providers will drop a customer from their plan for no apparent reason.  For instance, three years ago, AT&T charged one customer US$3,100 for phone calls made during a trip to China because they had inadvertently cancelled their subscription to the plan.  (The issue of this excessive bill remains outstanding.)  If you would like to call a country other than the U.S. from China, these plans are very expensive and you should not use them.  This also applies to calls made from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) to the Mainland.  A telephone call once made from Hong Kong to the Mainland using AT&T, for instance, unexpectedly cost US$20 per minute. 

Local calling cards are sold everywhere in China and Hong Kong.  The typical rate is about RMB 8 (about US$1) per minute for international calls.  You should always purchase one (about RMB 100 or US$12.5) to have in case of an emergency.

Telephone Area Codes and Postal Codes

When making a domestic call, dial the domestic prefix 0 plus the area code and the telephone number. When making an international call, simply dial the international prefix 00, plus the country code, area code and telephone number. 

United States'  Country Code: 1

China's Country Code: 86

Major Cities'  Area Codes:

Here are some useful telephone numbers in China:

Cellular Phones

Most business people cannot travel to China without their cell-phones.  Global System for Mobile communications (GMS) phones, which facilitate easy international roaming, are in use in China. They use a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) smart card that contains user account information and becomes immediately programmed when the SIM card is inserted.  You may wish to get a GSM phone and simply purchase a prepaid SIM card when you arrive in China.  As long as you recharge your card on time (depending on the dollar amount you put in), you will be able to keep the phone number and contact information you store on the card.  The cost for domestic calls is approximately RMB 1 to 2 per minute and for international calls approximately RMB 5 to 8 per minute.  Having a GSM phone and SIM card will save you a lot of money (compared to U.S. cellular phones, approximately US$2.99 per minute) and still allow you to keep in touch with your colleagues and family in the U.S.  You can buy the SIM card and the recharge cards almost anywhere in China.  Depending on demand, the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce is contemplating offering GSM phones and SIM cards to members for their short trips to China.  Please contact our office if you have an interest in this service.

Internet

Internet services are now widely available in China.  There are quite a lot of internet cafes all over major cities, particularly near universities and colleges.  You can also gain access to the internet from your hotel through both Broadband and phone lines.  Usually, under certain circumstance, there will be no charge for Broadband access if you enroll in the hote'¡¯s frequent guest program.  If not, the charge is typically RMB 100 to 200 per day.  You can also use the phone line, which is slow but very inexpensive.

Postal Services

Post Offices can be found all over China, particularly in the major cities.  They are marked by prominent green emblems and are usually located on main streets, at railway stations, airports and around major scenic spots.  They open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Your hotel will likely offer postal services as well.

Domestic mail is fast, reliable and relatively inexpensive.  Multiple daily delivery runs and same-day delivery is not uncommon in most major Chinese cities.  Inter-city delivery is often over-night.  International airmail letters, including those sent to the United States, typically take 5 to 10 days to reach their destinations.

Bear in mind that envelope sizes are standardized in China and you should buy them from the post office or obtain them at your hotel.  China does not use self-adhesive stamps.  Stamps must be glued onto envelopes. You must write the postal code on all letters.  Post offices are very particular about how you pack a parcel.  Ideally, you should pack your items at the post office.  Doing so will make it easier to obtain customs clearance for your parcel.

Post offices