The short answer
2am in Beijing is 2pm in Eastern Standard Time on the previous day.
Beijing is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. It falls outside the 9-to-5 in Beijing but lands inside working hours in Eastern Standard Time.
Beijing☾
2am
Eastern Standard Time☀
2pm
previous day
Right now
5:57pmCST · UTC+08:00 · Mon, Jun 22
5:57amEDT · UTC-04:00 · Mon, Jun 22
Read across to convert
Beijing
CST · UTC+08:00
Eastern Standard Time
EDT · UTC-04:00
Pinned2amBeijing=2pmEastern Standard Time · Sun (previous day)
12amMon
12pmSun ·−1d
WORK1am
1pmSun ·−1d
WORKPINNED
2am
2pmSun ·−1d
WORK3am
3pmSun ·−1d
WORK4am
4pmSun ·−1d
WORK5am
5pmSun ·−1d
6am
6pmSun ·−1d
7am
7pmSun ·−1d
8am
8pmSun ·−1d
9am
WORK9pmSun ·−1d
10am
WORK10pmSun ·−1d
11am
WORK11pmSun ·−1d
12pm
WORK12amMon
1pm
WORK1am
2pm
WORK2am
3pm
WORK3am
4pm
WORK4am
NOW
5pm
5am
6pm
6am
7pm
7am
8pm
8am
9pm
9am
WORK10pm
10am
WORK11pm
11am
WORKdaylightnightworking hoursoverlap
Best time to meet
No shared working hours.
Beijing and Eastern Standard Time are too far apart for a working-day overlap. The least-unsociable option is an early-morning call on one side and an evening one on the other — or hand work off asynchronously and let the planet do the waiting.
Popular conversions
Quick reference.
9amBeijing=9pmEastern Standard Time · prev day
12pmBeijing=12amEastern Standard Time
3pmBeijing=3amEastern Standard Time
5pmBeijing=5amEastern Standard Time
9pmBeijing=9amEastern Standard Time
In context
What each side covers.
Eastern Standard Time
5:57amEDT · UTC-04:00
Cities on this clock
Did you mean…? “EDT” is shared by several places. This page shows Eastern Standard Time (US & Canada) — or switch to Australian Eastern Standard Time.
Related converters
Other popular pairs.
Pacific Time
2:57am
India Standard Time
3:27pm
Pacific Time to India12 hours 30 minutes behind
Eastern Standard Time
5:57am
Central European Time
11:57am
Eastern Time to Central Europe6 hours behind
India Standard Time
3:27pm
Eastern Standard Time
5:57am
India to Eastern Time9 hours 30 minutes ahead
Greenwich Mean Time
10:57am
India Standard Time
3:27pm
London to India4 hours 30 minutes behind
Pacific Standard Time
2:57am
Eastern Standard Time
5:57am
Pacific to Eastern Time3 hours behind
Central European Time
11:57am
India Standard Time
3:27pm
Central Europe to India3 hours 30 minutes behind
Frequently asked
Quick answers about converting between Beijing and Eastern Standard Time. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What is the time difference between Beijing and Eastern Standard Time?
- Beijing is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time right now. We always show the live, daylight-saving-correct difference, so this figure already accounts for whichever side is observing summer time today.
- When it's 2am in Beijing, what time is it in Eastern Standard Time?
- 2am in Beijing is 2pm in Eastern Standard Time on the previous day. It falls outside the 9-to-5 in Beijing but lands inside working hours in Eastern Standard Time. Use the hour-by-hour table above to read any other time across.
- What's the best time for a call between Beijing and Eastern Standard Time?
- There's no comfortable 9-to-5 overlap between Beijing and Eastern Standard Time — they sit on opposite sides of the planet's working day. Plan for an early or late call on one side, or hand work off asynchronously.
- Does this account for daylight saving time?
- Yes. We track every clock change in both places, so the abbreviations you see — CST and EDT — are the ones actually in effect right now, not a fixed all-year value. When either side changes its clocks, this page updates automatically.
- Why is the date sometimes different on each side?
- When two places are far enough apart, the same moment can fall on different calendar days. That is why some conversions are marked "previous day" or "next day" — it is the same instant in time, read off two clocks that crossed midnight at different points.