Plug adapters / China
Do I need a plug adapter for China?
No. China uses type A and I sockets, the same shapes as the United States, so your plugs fit as they are. The supply is 230 V at 50 Hz, higher than the US 120 V.
What to pack for China
Nothing extra for the sockets. Check the voltage, though: China supplies 230 V through the same type A and I sockets you know from home, so a device that fits is not necessarily safe. Chargers marked 100–240 V are fine; a single-voltage appliance is not.
Mainland China only. Tied at #25 with Taiwan (0.84M each) in the ranking source. IEC World Plugs page could not be fetched (2 attempts failed); values from WorldStandards.eu country page fetched 2026-10-19.
About type A and I sockets
Type I has two flat pins in a V and an earth pin below, used in China alongside the US-style type A. Many Chinese sockets accept both, which is why the two appear together here, but hotel sockets vary room by room; carry a type I adapter rather than relying on finding a type A outlet.
Voltage and frequency in China: 230 V, 50 Hz
China runs on 230 V, nearly double the 120 V of a US outlet. Any device with "INPUT: 100–240 V" on its label, which includes nearly every phone, tablet, laptop and camera charger, adjusts automatically and needs only the plug shape sorted out. A device marked 120 V only will draw too much current and can burn out in seconds; that mostly means hair dryers, straighteners, kettles and some older electric shavers. A travel converter can run them, but a converter rated for a 1,500 W hair dryer is heavy, so a dual-voltage model is the usual answer. The 50 Hz frequency matters even less than the voltage: chargers and electronics ignore it, and only old clocks and some motors notice.
Same sockets elsewhere
Mexico, Canada, Dominican Republic, Japan, Colombia and Jamaica use at least one of the same socket types as China, so one adapter covers a trip that includes them.
- Mexico: type A/B, 127 V
- Canada: type A/B, 120 V
- Dominican Republic: type A/B, 120 V
- Japan: type A/B, 100 V
- Colombia: type A/B, 110 V
- Jamaica: type A/B, 110 V
Data for the same trip
While you are packing: how much mobile data a week in China needs, and which eSIM plans cover it.
Frequently asked questions
What plug type does China use?
China uses type A and I sockets. US type A and B plugs fit without an adapter.
What voltage is China?
China supplies 230 V at 50 Hz. Chargers marked 100–240 V handle it; single-voltage 120 V appliances do not.
Do I need a voltage converter for China?
Not for phones, laptops or cameras, whose chargers accept 100–240 V. Only a single-voltage appliance such as a 120 V hair dryer needs a converter, and a dual-voltage model is the easier fix.
Will my phone charger work in China?
Yes, provided it is marked 100–240 V, which almost every phone charger is. No adapter is needed because the sockets take US plugs.
Socket type, voltage and frequency: WorldStandards.eu country page, cross-checked 2026-10-19 against the Mains electricity by country table. The IEC retired its World Plugs guide in 2026.