The short answer
5pm in China Standard Time is 5am in Eastern Time.
China Standard Time is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Time. It lands deep outside working hours in Eastern Time — see the best time to meet below for a friendlier slot.
China Standard Time☀
5pm
Eastern Time☾
5am
Right now
9:45pmCST · UTC+08:00 · Mon, Jun 22
9:45amEDT · UTC-04:00 · Mon, Jun 22
Read across to convert
China Standard Time
CST · UTC+08:00
Eastern Time
EDT · UTC-04:00
Pinned5pmChina Standard Time=5amEastern Time
12amMon
12pmSun ·−1d
WORK1am
1pmSun ·−1d
WORK2am
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
PINNED
5pm
5am
6pm
6am
7pm
7am
8pm
8am
NOW
9pm
9am
WORK10pm
10am
WORK11pm
11am
WORKdaylightnightworking hoursoverlap
Best time to meet
No shared working hours.
China Standard Time and Eastern 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.
9amChina Standard Time=9pmEastern Time · prev day
12pmChina Standard Time=12amEastern Time
3pmChina Standard Time=3amEastern Time
5pmChina Standard Time=5amEastern Time
9pmChina Standard Time=9amEastern Time
In context
What each side covers.
China Standard Time
9:45pmCST · UTC+08:00
Eastern Time
9:45amEDT · UTC-04:00
Cities on this clock
Related converters
Other popular pairs.
Pacific Time
6:45am
India Standard Time
7:15pm
Pacific Time to India12 hours 30 minutes behind
Eastern Standard Time
9:45am
Central European Time
3:45pm
Eastern Time to Central Europe6 hours behind
India Standard Time
7:15pm
Eastern Standard Time
9:45am
India to Eastern Time9 hours 30 minutes ahead
Greenwich Mean Time
2:45pm
India Standard Time
7:15pm
London to India4 hours 30 minutes behind
Pacific Standard Time
6:45am
Eastern Standard Time
9:45am
Pacific to Eastern Time3 hours behind
Central European Time
3:45pm
India Standard Time
7:15pm
Central Europe to India3 hours 30 minutes behind
Frequently asked
Quick answers about converting between China Standard Time and Eastern Time. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What is the time difference between China Standard Time and Eastern Time?
- China Standard Time is 12 hours ahead of Eastern 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 5pm in China Standard Time, what time is it in Eastern Time?
- 5pm in China Standard Time is 5am in Eastern Time. It lands deep outside working hours in Eastern Time — see the best time to meet below for a friendlier slot. Use the hour-by-hour table above to read any other time across.
- What's the best time for a call between China Standard Time and Eastern Time?
- There's no comfortable 9-to-5 overlap between China Standard Time and Eastern 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.