Electricity in China

Before you pack for your trip to China, it’s worth checking out China’s power, as well as its plug and socket systems. China’s electricity is 220 volts and 50 Hertz, twice the standard 110 volts and 60 Hertz voltage of North America and some Latin American countries.

To plug your electronics into a Chinese socket, you need an electrical adapter, which is a simple connector that matches the shape of the plug to a Chinese socket. Adapters are available for computers, digital camera chargers, DVD players and other electronic products. Check the ac power adapter for the information below. Look for “input”, if it says 100~240V, you can use it to travel around China.

However, if you come from a country that USES 110V, your electronic devices, such as hair dryers, curling irons, electric razors, rechargeable batteries, will need a converter. The converter is a very large tool that converts your device’s input from 220V to 110V. If you are from a European country and use 220v-230v, your home appliance will work without a converter. Check the back of your appliance to see the description of the input. Some of your appliances may be “dual-voltage”, they work well at 110V or 220V.

Currently, there are no global standard plugs and sockets. Generally, three types of plugs are used the most – flat plug systems, square plug systems and round plug systems.

Flush insertion system: proposed by the American national standards institute, mainly used in Asia and North America, such as the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea and China.

Fang sai system: proposed by the British standards institute, mainly used in Oceania and South Africa, such as the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, India and Pakistan.

Round plug system: proposed by international electrical equipment certification committee, mainly used in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and other European countries.