# Telephone numbers in China

Telephone numbers in the People's Republic of China are administered according to the Telecommunications Network Numbering Plan of China. The structure of telephone numbers for landlines and mobile service is different. Landline telephone numbers have area codes, whereas mobile numbers do not. In major cities, landline numbers consist of a two-digit area code followed by an eight-digit local number. In other places, landline numbers consist of a three-digit area code followed by a seven- or eight-digit local number. Mobile phone numbers consist of eleven digits.
Landline calls within the same area do not require the area code. Calls to other areas require dialing the trunk prefix 0 and the area code.
The special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau are not part of this numbering plan, and use the calling codes 852 and 853 respectively.

## Mobile phones

In mainland China, mobile phone numbers have eleven digits in the format 1xx-XXXX-XXXX (except for 140–144, which are 13-digit IoT numbers), in which the first three digits (13x to 19x) designate the mobile phone service provider.
Before GSM, mobile phones had 6-digit (later upgraded to 7-digit) numbers starting with nine. They had the same numbering format as fixed-line telephones. Those numbers were eventually translated into 1390xx9xxx, where xx were local identifiers.
The oldest China Mobile GSM numbers were ten digits long and started with 139 in 1994, the second oldest 138 in 1997, and 137, 136, 135 in 1999. The oldest China Unicom numbers started with 130 in 1995, the second oldest at 131 in 1998. Keeping the same number over time is somewhat associated with the stability and reliability of the owner. The 5th to the seventh digit sometimes relates to age and location.
China's mobile telephone numbers were changed from ten digits to eleven digits, with 0 added after 13x, and thus the HLR code became four-digit long to expand the capacity of the seriously fully crowded numbering plan.
In 2006, 15x numbers were introduced. In late 2008, 18x and 14x (for data plans or IoT) were introduced. In late 2013, 17x were introduced. In 2017, 16x and 19x were introduced.
In December 2016, each cell phone number was required to be consigned to a real name in mainland China.
In November 2010, MIIT has started the trial mobile number portability service in Tianjin and Hainan, in 2012 the trial has extended to Jiangxi, Hubei and Yunan provinces. On 10 November 2019, all provinces started accepting MNP requests for all mobile carriers, except for technical difficulties, the MVNO phones, satellite phones and IoT phones.
Mobile service carriers can be identified by the first three or four digits as follows:
| Prefix | Carrier | Network | Network | Network | Network |
| Prefix | Carrier | 2G | 3G | 4G | 5G |
| 10641 (13 digits) | China Unicom (VNO for IoT purposes) | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 130–132 | China Unicom | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 133 | China Telecom$^1$ | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 134(0–8) | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 1349 | Chinasat (operated by China Telecom) | Satellite | Satellite | Satellite | Satellite |
| 135–139 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 140 (13 digits) | reserved for China Unicom (IoT), due to NR technical difficulties, no 1400(0-9) numbers will be provided | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 141 (13 digits) | China Telecom (IoT) currently only 1410(0-9) are used, the rest, 141(10-99) are reserved for future 5G IoT card plans | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 142–143 (13 digits) | reserved for future IoT carriers | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 144 (13 digits) | China Mobile (IoT) currently only 1440(0-9) and 1441(0-9) are used, the rest, 144(20-99) are reserved for future 5G IoT card plans | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 145 | China Unicom (formerly Data-plans only) only new TD-LTE, LTE-FDD, LTE-A or NR wireless network card users may got a new 145 number, but can also be used to connect 3G network | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 146 | China Unicom (IoT) | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 147 | China Mobile (formerly Data-plans only) Used for "one SIM with dual-number" service of CMHK in Mainland | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 148 | China Mobile (IoT) | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 149 | China Telecom (formerly Data-plans only) only new TD-LTE, LTE-FDD, LTE-A or NR wireless network card users may got a new 149 number | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 150–152 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 153 | China Telecom$^1$ | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 154 | reserved for future mobile carriers | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 155–156 | China Unicom | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 157 | China Mobile also used for CM wireless landlines | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 158–159 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 161 | reserved for future mobile carriers | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 162 | China Telecom (VNO) | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 164 | reserved for future mobile carriers | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 165 | China Mobile (VNO) | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 166 | China Unicom | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 167 | China Unicom (VNO) | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 170(0-2) | China Telecom (VNO) | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 1703 | China Mobile (VNO) | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 1704 | China Unicom (VNO) | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 170(5-6) | China Mobile (VNO) | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 170(7-9) | China Unicom (VNO) | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 171 | China Unicom (VNO) also used by Hong Kong 3 as sub-number of their SIM cards in Mainland | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 172 | China Mobile (IoT) Used for "one SIM with dual-number" service of CTM in Mainland | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 173 | China Telecom | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 174(00-05) | Tiantong (operated by China Telecom) | Satellite | Satellite | Satellite | Satellite |
| 174(06-12) | MIIT Emergency Communication Support Center | emergency mobile call | emergency mobile call | emergency mobile call | emergency mobile call |
| 174(13-89) | reserved for satellite phones | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1749 | Inmarsat$^2$ | Satellite | Satellite | Satellite | Satellite |
| 175–176 | China Unicom | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 177 | China Telecom | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 178 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 180–181 | China Telecom | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 182–184 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 185–186 | China Unicom | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 187–188 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 189–191 | China Telecom | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 192 | China Broadnet | N/A | N/A | LTE$^6$ | NR |
| 193 | China Telecom | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
| 194 | reserved for future mobile carriers | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 195 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 196 | China Unicom | N/A$^4$ | WCDMA$^7$ | LTE | NR |
| 197–198 | China Mobile | GSM$^4$ | N/A$^3$ | LTE | NR |
| 199 | China Telecom | N/A$^5$ | N/A$^5$ | LTE | NR |
* China Unicom before 2009
* Operated by China Transport Telecommunication Information Group Co., Ltd.
* TD-SCDMA networks deprecated by China Mobile in 2020
* China Unicom finalize deprecated the GSM networks in 2021. A plan to deprecate GSM by China Mobile announced in 2023, scheduled to shut down in 2025
* CDMA2000 1x Ev-Do networks deprecated in 2022, and CDMA2000 1x RTT in 2024
* LTE compatibility of China Broadnet SIM cards only available on Apple iOS devices
* WCDMA networks are being deprecated by China Unicom since 2023
1G TACS networks were provided by China Telecom since 1987, operations transferred to China Mobile in 1999, the year China Mobile established, 1G shut down in 2001.

## Calling formats

To call phone numbers in China one of the following formats is used:
* For fixed phones:
xxx xxxx | xxxx xxxx Calls within the same area code
0yyy xxx xxxx | 0yyy xxxx xxxx Calls from other areas within China
+86 yyy xxx xxxx | +86 yyy xxxx xxxx Calls from outside China
* For mobile phones:
1nn xxxx xxxx Calls to mobile phones within China
+86 1nn xxxx xxxx Calls to mobiles from outside China

## Area 1 – Capital Operation Center

The prefix one is used exclusively by the national capital, Beijing Municipality.
* Beijing – 10 (formerly 1, abolished after GSM was introduced, to avoid conflict with mobile phone numbers with prefix 0 added (e.g. 0139-xxxx-xxxx))

## Area 2 – Country Communication System Operating Center

These are area codes for the municipalities of Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing, as well as several major cities with early access to telephones. These cities have upgraded to an 8-number system in the past decade. All telephone numbers are 8-digit in these areas.
* Shanghai – 21
* Tianjin – 22
* Chongqing – 23 $^1$
* Shenyang, Tieling, Fushun, Benxi – 24 $^2$
* Nanjing – 25
* Wuhan, Huarong District of Ezhou – 27
* Chengdu, Meishan, Ziyang – 28 $^3$
* Xi'an, Xianyang – 29 $^4$
* Guangzhou – 20
1 - Formerly 811 in urban area and 814 in Yongchuan, both abolished on 9 August 1997; 819 for Wanxian and 810 for Fuling and Qianjiang, abolished on 28 November 1998.
2 - Formerly 410 for Tieling and 413 for Fushun, abolished on 28 August 2011; 414 for Benxi, abolished on 24 May 2014. 3 - Formerly 832, 833, abolished 2010.
4 - Formerly 910, abolished 2006.
It's still unclear whether 26 will be provided or not, some local materials say that it's reserved for Taiwan (especially its capital Taipei), but currently they use +886. Some proposals from planned independent cities (Chinese: 计划单列市) to get rights to operate 026 were also unsuccessful.

## Area 3 – Northern China Operation Center

These are area codes for the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Henan.

### Henan – 37x 39x

$_{1-Formerly378,abolishedon26October2013.}$ $_{2-Formerly397for7eastcounties,abolishedon20October2005.}$

## Area 4 – Northeastern China Operation Center

These are area codes for the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, and the provinces in Northeast China (Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang). Additionally, numbers starting 400 are shared-pay (callers are charged local rate anywhere in the country) numbers.

### Jilin – 43x 44x

$_{1-Hunchunformerly440,abolishedin}$ $_{16September2006}$
$_{2-Meihekou,Liuhe,Huinanformerly448,abolishedon16September2006}$

### Heilongjiang – 45x 46x

$_{1-Achengformerly450,abolished.}$
$_{2-IncludesJiagedaqiandSongling,whereconsideredpartofInnerMongoliabydejure}$

### Inner Mongolia – 47x 48x

$_{1-JiagedaqiandSonglingaredefactoundertheadministrationoftheDaxing'anlingPrefecture,uses457.}$

## Area 5 – Eastern China Operating Center

These are area codes for the provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong (predominantly), Anhui, Zhejiang and Fujian.

### Jiangsu – 51x 52x

All telephone numbers are 8-digit in Jiangsu.
$_{1-Changshu,Kunshan,Taicang,WujiangandZhangjiagangareformerly520,abolishedon20April2002.}$

### Anhui – 55x 56x

$_{1-Formerly565forChaohuprefecturalcityera(i.e.before2011),latersplitas:Hefei's551forJuchaodistrict(nowcounty-levelChaohu)andLujiangcounty,Wuhu's553forWuweiandShenxiangTownofHecounty(nowpartofJiujiangdistrict),andMa'anshan's555forHecounty(exceptShenxiang)andHanshancounty.}$ $_{2-SplitfromFuyangin2000,nonewareacodeallocated.}$

### Fujian – 59x 50x

$_{1-Kinmen,Matsu,andWuchiuareunderTaiwanesecontrol,andhenceuseinternationalcallingcodeof+886.}$

## Area 6 – Supplement for Shandong(63x), Guangdong(66x), Yunnan(69x)

All area codes with prefix 6 were assigned in recent years. This prefix (+866) previously was reserved for Taiwan, which is now assigned (+886).

### Shandong – 63x

While most areas in Shandong use the prefix 53x 54x, some sites also use the prefix 6.
* Weihai – 631
* Zaozhuang – 632
* Rizhao – 633
* Liaocheng – 635
Laiwu was using 634, now merged to Jinan's 531, former numbers are re-prefixxed as 5317 when merging.

### Guangdong – 66x

While most areas in Guangdong use the prefix 75x and 76x, some sites also use the prefix 6. The provincial capital Guangzhou uses code 20.
* Shanwei – 660
* Yangjiang – 662
* Jieyang – 663
* Maoming – 668
Chaoyang county-level city was using 661, now changed to 754 after split to Chaoyang and Chaonan districts and join Shantou.

### Yunnan – 69x

While most areas in Yunnan use the prefix 87x and 88x, a couple of areas also use the prefix 6.
* Xishuangbanna – 691
* Dehong – 692

## Area 7 – Central-Southern China Operating Center

These are area codes for the central provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong (predominantly), Jiangxi, and the autonomous region of Guangxi.

### Hubei – 71x 72x

$_{20-exceptHuarongdistrictwhichusesWuhan's27.}$

### Hunan – 73x 74x

$_{21-Formerly733,abolished.}$
$_{22-Formerly732,abolished.}$

### Guangdong – 75x 76x

$_{23-Shundeformerly765,abolished.}$

### Guangxi – 77x 78x

$_{24-SplitfromWuzhouPrefecture,originalareacodeinherited.}$
$_{25-SplitfromLiuzhouPrefecture,originalareacodeinherited.}$
$_{26-SplitfromYulinPrefecture,originalareacodeinherited.}$
$_{27-SplitfromNanningPrefecture,originalareacodeinherited.}$

### Jiangxi – 79x 70x
## Area 8 -Southwestern China Operating Center

These are area codes for the provinces of Sichuan, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan (predominantly) and the autonomous region of Tibet.

### Guizhou – 85x 86x

$_{28-Formerly852,853,abolished2014.}$

### Yunnan – 87x 88x

$_{29-Dongchuanformerly881,incorporatedinto871}$ $_{30-alsodefactousedbyWaStateofMyanmar}$

### Hainan – 898

All telephone numbers are 8-digit in Hainan.
$_{Formerly(mostlikelybefore2000),Sanya,Wuzhishan,Lingshui,Ledong,BaotingandQiongzhongwere899,Danzhou,Dongfang,Lingao,BaishaandChangjiangwere890.}$

## Area 9 – Northwestern China Operating Center

These are area codes for northwestern regions including the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai, as well as the autonomous regions of Ningxia and Xinjiang.

### Gansu – 93x 94x

$_{31-Sharedareacodeduetosmallsize.}$

### Qinghai – 97x 98x

$_{32-AreaundertheadministrationofGolmuduses979,otherlandlineswithintheprefectureuse977.}$

### Xinjiang – 99x 90x

$_{33-exceptWusuandDushanziDistrictwhichuseKuytun's992.}$ $_{34-exceptShawancountywhichusesShihezi's993,andHoboksarcountywhichusesKaramay's990.}$

## Emergency numbers

From within Mainland China, the following emergency numbers are used:
* 110 – Police (12110 for SMS to police, not for calling, 95110 for maritime policies, 96110 to report frauds)
* 119 – Fire brigade (12119 for forest fire in some regions)
* 120 – Ambulance
* 122 – Traffic accident (incorporated into 110 in some cities) (12122 on expressways)
* 999 – Privately operated ambulance (Beijing only, calls outside Beijing is 010-999)
In most cities, the emergency numbers assist in Mandarin Chinese and English.
Starting from 2012 in Shenzhen, an implemented system upgrade to unify three emergency reporting services into one number, 110. A similar approach is being installed in more cities in China to make them more convenient.
As 112, 911, and 999 (except Beijing) are not official emergency numbers in China, when dialing them, a recording message is played about correction in Chinese and English twice, but no services are automatically redirected:
* China Mobile & China Broadcom (include contract phones without SIM cards inserted, even dialed 110/119/120/122): For police dial 110, to report the fire dial 119, for an ambulance dial 120, to report the traffic accident dial 122. But when dialing 999 outside Beijing, and without 010 prefix: The number is incorrect, please check and dial again.
* China Unicom (include contract phones without SIM cards inserted, even dialed 110/119/120/122): Hello, please dial 110 for police, 119 for fire, 120 for ambulance, 122 for traffic accident, and dial area code before 112 for fixed phone obstacle.
* China Telecom (include contract phones without SIM cards inserted, even dialed 110/119/120/122): Sorry, the number you've dialed is not correct, please check it and redial.
* Non-contract phones without SIM cards inserted: Sorry, you didn't apply for this service.

## Others

From within Mainland China, the following special numbers are used:
* 100xx – Telecommunications Customer Service
** 10000 for China Telecom, formerly 1000
** 10010 for China Unicom, 10015 for auditing CU's services, formerly 1001
** 10020-10049 for VNOs
** 10086 for China Mobile (formerly 1860), 10050 for Tietong, 10080 for auditing CM's services, 1008611 for directly checking phone bills
** 10096 for China Tower
** 10099 for China Broadnet
* 106 – SMS access code
* 11185 – Post (11183 for their EMS)
* 114 – Directory assistance, operated by China Unicom for the northern 10 provinces, and China Telecom for the southern 21 provinces. China Unicom also operates 116114, and China Telecom 118114 that provide the same service as 114.
* 116xxx – Premium service of China Unicom (e.g. 116114)
* 118xxx – Premium service of China Telecom (e.g. 118114)
* 12114 – SMS name and address standard trial platform, not for calling
* 12117 – Speaking clock
* 12121 – Weather
* 12123 – Traffic police services
* 123xx – Government service, 12345 is a general hotline for all services below, that may be transited by 12345 operators upon kind of requests:
12303 – proposals 12305 – SPB post appeals 12306 – railway services (10-)12308 – MFA Consular assistance 12309 – SPP reports 12310 – CIOC reports 12313 – tobacco reports 12314 – water reports 12315 – consumer reports 12316 – agricultural services (10-)12317 – poverty helps 12318 – cultural reports 12319 – urban development services 12320 – health services 12321 – MIIT Internet disinfos and spam reports 12323 – MNR maritime report 12325 – food audit 12326 – CAAC audit 12328 – transportation illegal reports 12329 – housing fund services 12333 – MHRSS services (10-)12335 – MoC Multinational corporation reports 12337 – CPLAC anti-blacks 12338 – women helps 12339 – MSS reports 12340 – statistics 12348 – MoJ legal services and aids 12350 – MEM safety reports 12351 – ACFTU workers' helps 12355 – CYL Adolescence services 12356 – NHC Psychological assistance 12360 – custom services 12361 – PDCCP Xuexi Qiangguo 12363 – PBC financial reports 12366 – tax services 12367 – immigration services 12368 – court services 12369 – environment reports (10-)12370 – MHRSS Civil services 12371 – ODCCP community member consult 12377 – CAC Internet illegal and disinfo reports 12378 – NFRA bank & insurance reports (10-)12379 – MEM emergency situation info release 12380 – ODCCP reports 12381 – MIIT public services 12385 – disabled services 12386 – CSRC Investor services 12388 – CCDI and NSC reports 12389 – MPS reports 12390 – anti-pornography, illegal and copyvio publishing reports 12393 – NHSA services 12395 – MSA Shipwrecking helps 12398 – energy audits
* 124x – Carrier Identification Code (formerly 190/196/197, abolished in 2018, to create space for mobile phone numbers.)
* 125xx – Premium service of China Mobile (e.g. 12580 for China Mobile's Directory assistance)
* 179xx + target number followed – VoIP (e.g. 17901-133-0000-0000, 1790 for China Telecom, 1791 for China Unicom, and 1795 for China Mobile)
* 400 xxx xxxx, 800 xxx xxxx – business numbers
** Differences: bills for 400 numbers are paid by both originating and terminating callers, and support calling from both landlines and mobile phones (usually 400-1/7 operate by China Mobile, 400-0/6 operate by China Unicom, 400-8/9 operate by China Telecom); bills for 800 numbers are just paid by terminating callers, but for non-landline users, mostly only China Telecom mobile phones may call 800 phones, because nearly all 800 phones are operated by China Telecom
** 400-881-0000 for auditing China Telecom's services
* 95xxx(xxx), 96xxx(xxx) – enterprise public institution's consumer services, include but not only bank, insurance, public utility, etc. for example:
** 95588 – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)
** 95105105 or 96006 – railway ticket services

### Former

* 20x (mainly 200 and 201) – was used for IC telephone service, to be reserved for mobile phones
* ↑ +86-10-68995110 when located at EEZs or public seas, where mobile signals are unable to provide
* ↑ SMS only, calling 12345 for this purpose will be hung up, with a SMS instruction returned
* 1 2 3 4 5 calling center merged with 12345, but numbers and service seats still work
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 calling center and seats merged with 12345, but numbers still work
* ↑ remote users are only able to receive phones from 12340, they can't directly call this number

## International Access Code

The international access code from the PRC is 00. This must also be used for calls to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau from the Chinese mainland, together with their separate international codes, as follows:
| place! Prefix |
| (All countries) | 00 CountryCode AreaCode SubscriberCode |
| Taiwan | 00 886 xxx xxx xxx |
| Hong Kong | 00 852 xxxx xxxx |
| Macau | 00 853 xxxx xxxx |
| NANP | 00 1 xxx xxx xxxx |
| UK | 00 44 xxxxxxxxxx |
| Japan | 00 81 xxxxxxxxx |