China
Reach the world's second-largest economy with a local +86 number. Establish credible presence in Beijing, Shanghai, or Shenzhen without opening a physical office - backed by MIIT-compliant provisioning and enterprise-grade call routing.
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| Phone Number | Type | Features | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Click Search to find available numbers. | ||||
Top Cities in China
Quick access to the most commercially relevant cities. Get a local number in any of these key markets.
Beijing
China's political capital and a hub for state enterprises, diplomacy, and technology giants like Baidu and ByteDance.
Shanghai
China's financial and commercial capital, home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, major MNC regional headquarters, and a world-class port.
Shenzhen
China's technology and manufacturing powerhouse, home to Huawei, Tencent, and the world's largest electronics supply chain.
Guangzhou
A major trade and export hub hosting the Canton Fair, the largest merchandise trade fair on earth.
Chengdu
Western China's economic gateway and a fast-growing tech and consumer market of over 21 million people.
Hangzhou
Home to Alibaba and Ant Group, Hangzhou is the epicenter of Chinese e-commerce and digital payments innovation.
Why Expand Your Business to China?
China is the world's second-largest economy and the largest goods trading nation on earth. Its manufacturing base, tech sector, and consumer market of 1.4 billion people make it unavoidable for any global growth strategy. Key industries include electronics and hardware manufacturing, e-commerce, fintech, logistics, renewable energy, and pharmaceuticals. Cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hangzhou have become global leaders in specific tech verticals, making China a priority market across nearly every sector.
The challenge for foreign businesses is trust. Chinese consumers and B2B buyers are significantly more likely to engage with a company displaying a local +86 number than an unfamiliar international one. A Shanghai 021 number signals regional commitment. A 400 hotline signals a nationally established brand. Without local numbers, inbound call volumes drop and outbound answer rates suffer. A virtual China phone number lets your team operate with full local credibility - routed to wherever your people actually are - without the months-long process of incorporating locally.
Inbound Customer Support
Route calls from a 400 hotline or city DID to your offshore support center with IVR menus in Mandarin. Chinese customers expect local numbers - a 400 line signals legitimacy and increases first-contact resolution.
Outbound Sales & Partner Outreach
Equip your sales team with local +86 city numbers when calling Chinese distributors, suppliers, or prospects. Local caller IDs consistently outperform international numbers in pickup rates across Chinese mobile networks.
Supplier & Logistics Coordination
Assign dedicated Shenzhen or Guangzhou numbers to your sourcing and logistics teams. Factory managers and freight forwarders respond faster and more reliably to numbers from within the same region.
Market Entry Testing
Launch a virtual +86 number before committing to a physical entity in China. Test demand, validate your service model, and build a customer base - all before spending six figures on a WFOE setup.
Multilingual IVR & AI Voice Agents
Deploy FoneSwift's AI voice agents behind a Chinese local or 400 number to handle high-volume inbound queries, appointment bookings, or order status checks in Mandarin - 24/7, without adding headcount.
Businesses Using China Phone Numbers
China's scale means even a single percentage point improvement in customer reachability translates to significant revenue. Businesses across manufacturing, tech, e-commerce, and finance rely on local Chinese numbers to cut through the trust barrier that separates foreign brands from conversion.
E-Commerce & Cross-Border Retail
International brands selling on Tmall, JD.com, or through WeChat Stores use local Chinese numbers to handle customer service inquiries, returns, and post-purchase support - building trust with buyers who expect domestic-looking contact details.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain
Global procurement teams and factory auditors use Shenzhen (755) and Guangzhou (20) local numbers to coordinate with suppliers, quality control staff, and logistics partners who are more responsive to local caller IDs.
Technology & SaaS
International SaaS platforms and hardware companies targeting Chinese enterprise clients use Beijing (10) and Shenzhen (755) numbers to build credibility with procurement officers who prefer a local point of contact during evaluation cycles.
Finance & Fintech
Foreign banks, asset managers, and fintech platforms operating in China use Shanghai (21) numbers for their client-facing operations, signaling presence in China's primary financial center and meeting expectations of high-net-worth Chinese clients.
Education & EdTech
International universities and online learning platforms use local Chinese numbers for their enrollment and student support teams, dramatically improving engagement rates with Chinese students and parents who avoid calling international numbers.
Travel, Hospitality & Tourism
Hotels, airlines, and travel agencies serving Chinese outbound or inbound travelers maintain local +86 numbers so customers can reach them during booking and on-trip without incurring international call costs.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and medical device manufacturers use local numbers for their China-based clinical operations, regulatory affairs teams, and physician outreach - satisfying both operational and compliance communication needs.
About China Phone Numbers
China's telecommunications landscape is governed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and operated by four state-licensed carriers: China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Tietong. The country uses the Telecommunications Network Numbering Plan, where landlines carry area-code-based geographic identifiers (Beijing: 10, Shanghai: 21, Guangzhou: 20, Shenzhen: 755) and mobile numbers run 11 digits beginning with 1xx. Uniquely, the entire country - despite spanning five geographic time zones - operates on a single China Standard Time (CST, UTC+8), simplifying call scheduling significantly for international teams.
FoneSwift provisions China virtual numbers through licensed carrier partnerships, offering local city DIDs in major commercial hubs and 400 enterprise hotlines for nationwide inbound routing. Numbers can forward to any SIP endpoint, PBX, or mobile worldwide, enabling your team to answer Chinese customer calls from anywhere. Combined with FoneSwift's AI voice agents and IVR builder, you can deploy a fully automated Mandarin-language call flow behind your China number from day one - handling volume that would otherwise require a dedicated in-country team.
Regulatory compliance is non-negotiable in China. The Cybersecurity Law, Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), and the 2022 Anti-Telecom Fraud Law all impose real-name registration requirements on any telephone service user. For foreign businesses, this means submitting certified company documents and a legal representative's passport before a number is provisioned. FoneSwift's compliance team manages this documentation workflow on your behalf, works directly with carrier partners to meet MIIT requirements, and ensures your numbers remain active through annual re-registration cycles - so you're never caught off guard by regulatory changes.
| Capital | Beijing |
| Population | 1.408 billion |
| Largest Cities | Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen |
| Timezone | Asia/Shanghai (CST (UTC+8)) |
Interesting Facts about China
Discover what makes China unique and why local phone numbers matter for your business.
China Runs on One Clock - Officially
Despite spanning five natural geographic time zones from east to west, China standardized on a single China Standard Time (UTC+8) in 1949. This means sunrise in Xinjiang can happen as late as 10 AM local time. For businesses, it simplifies call scheduling - there is only one business hours window for the entire country.
Mobile Surpassed Landlines Decades Ago
China has one of the world's largest mobile subscriber bases, with over a billion active mobile connections. Mobile penetration is so dominant that many Chinese adults - particularly younger generations - have never used a residential landline. This makes mobile-format numbers and 400 hotlines far more strategically relevant than city DIDs alone.
Number Portability Arrived Nationally in 2019
China launched nationwide mobile number portability (MNP) in November 2019 after years of regional pilots. Before this, switching carriers meant losing your number. MNP standardized the process across China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, giving consumers and businesses more flexibility - though the first three digits of a mobile number still reflect the original carrier allocation.
The 400 Number is China's Trusted Business Signal
In China, the 400 number prefix carries a cultural weight similar to a toll-free 800 number in the US - it signals a legitimate, customer-facing business. Chinese consumers are trained to associate 400 numbers with established brands, making them a critical credibility asset for any company operating a national customer service line.
Real-Name Registration is the Law
Since the Cybersecurity Law took effect in June 2017 and was reinforced by the 2022 Anti-Telecom Fraud Law, all telecom service users in China - individuals and businesses alike - must register under their real identity. Carriers are legally required to verify identity before activating any number. This applies to virtual numbers too, which is why KYC documentation is mandatory with no exceptions.
Only Four Carriers Hold IP Telephony Licenses
The MIIT licenses IP telephony services exclusively to four state-owned operators: China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Tietong. No independent or foreign VoIP carrier can operate within China's network without partnering with one of these four. This is why all legitimate virtual China number providers route through licensed carrier agreements.
Virtual Number Types in China
Every business has unique needs. Choose the perfect telephony footprint in China to maximize local trust, nationwide reach, or high-volume SMS.
Local DID Numbers
Geographic landline numbers tied to specific Chinese cities. Major cities like Beijing (area code 10) and Shanghai (21) use 2-digit area codes with 8-digit local numbers. Smaller cities use 3 to 4-digit area codes with 7 to 8-digit local numbers.
Best for establishing city-specific presence to serve local customers, coordinate with suppliers, or operate a regional inbound support line.
400 Enterprise Hotline Numbers
China's equivalent of a business hotline number. 400 numbers are 10-digit, reachable nationwide from all mobile networks and landlines, and strongly associated with legitimate, established businesses in Chinese consumer culture.
Best for customer service lines, national sales hotlines, and any business that needs to project credibility and accessibility across all of China.
Mobile Numbers
Chinese mobile numbers are 11 digits, always beginning with 1xx, and are not carrier-specific after national number portability launched in November 2019. Mobile numbers support voice and regulated SMS.
Best for teams needing a mobile-format business number for WhatsApp-equivalent apps like WeChat or for two-factor authentication workflows with Chinese users.
How to Call China
Navigating international exit codes and local trunks can be confusing. Use our definitive dialing cheat sheet to ensure your calls connect every time.
Dialing Format Reference
+86 (Area Code) XXXX-XXXXDial the country code +86, drop the leading 0 from the area code, then the 7 or 8-digit local number. Example: +86 10 XXXX-XXXX for Beijing, +86 21 XXXX-XXXX for Shanghai.
+86 1XX-XXXX-XXXXChinese mobile numbers are 11 digits. From abroad, dial +86 followed by all 11 digits (no leading 0). Example: +86 138-XXXX-XXXX.
0 (Area Code) XXXX-XXXXWithin China, prefix the area code with 0 when calling a different city. Example: dial 010 XXXX-XXXX for a Beijing landline from Shanghai.
400-XXX-XXXXDialed as a 10-digit number. Reachable from any mobile or landline across all of mainland China without special prefixes. Callers typically pay local call rates.
Regulatory Requirements in China
Ensure smooth operations by understanding the local Know Your Customer (KYC) laws and required documentation for acquiring numbers in China.
Local Regulations
Key restrictions and use cases.
Local DID Numbers (City-Specific)
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) mandates strict real-name registration for all telephone services. Foreign businesses must submit certified company registration documents and a legal representative's passport. Provisioning typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. Numbers are provisioned through licensed Chinese carrier partners.
400 Enterprise Hotline Numbers
400 numbers are China's nationwide business hotlines reachable from any mobile or landline across the country. They require a valid Chinese business license (or a WFOE/joint venture registration) and the legal representative's government-issued ID. These are not "toll-free" in the traditional sense - callers typically pay local call rates. Setup time is 2 to 5 business days after document approval.
A2P SMS Messaging
A2P SMS in China is tightly regulated. Only licensed Chinese carriers and pre-approved SMS gateway providers may send business messages. All SMS templates must be pre-registered with the carrier. Foreign companies must work through authorized local partners. Unauthorized bulk SMS is actively blocked and may result in number suspension.
Required Documents
Checklist for provisioning.
What you need to get a China number:
- Certified copy of company business registration / Certificate of Incorporation
- Legal representative's valid passport (for foreign company directors)
- Proof of business address (utility bill, lease agreement, or government-issued document)
- Completed and signed service agreement with the licensed Chinese carrier partner
- Chinese business license or WFOE registration (required for 400 numbers)
- Pre-registered SMS content templates (required for A2P messaging)
Get your China phone number today
Why Choose China Phone Number for Your Business?
Discover the advantages of having a local phone number that builds trust, increases engagement, and drives results.
Powerful Features for Your China Phone Number
Get the most out of your phone number with FoneSwift's enterprise-grade features designed to help your business communicate more effectively.
How to Get a China Phone Number
Buying a China phone number using FoneSwift is easy and takes just a few minutes. Follow these simple steps to get your China phone number and start connecting with customers in China today.
Create a new account on FoneSwift or sign in to your existing account to get started.
Once logged in, you'll be taken to your FoneSwift dashboard where you can manage all your phone numbers and settings.
Click on Settings in the sidebar, then go to "My Numbers" and click the "Add a Number" button.
Choose China as your country from the dropdown menu.
Select the type of number, then choose the China country from the available options.
Click the "Search" button to see all available phone numbers with the selected area code.
Browse through the available numbers, select one that fits your needs, click "Buy Number", and confirm your purchase.
Your number is now active! Start making and receiving calls from the FoneSwift Dialer immediately.
You can configure your number to handle calls, forward calls, or even create an AI voice agent to handle the calls for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about virtual phone numbers in China
Do I need a physical office in China to get a Chinese virtual phone number?
How long does it take to activate a China virtual phone number?
Can I send SMS messages from my China virtual phone number?
What is a China 400 number, and how is it different from a local DID?
Does China observe Daylight Saving Time?
Can I port my existing Chinese phone number to FoneSwift?
What are the data storage requirements for using virtual numbers in China?
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