Is it convenient to make phone calls in China?

IDD service is available at all hotels and post offices. It is very convenient to make phone calls in China now. Telephone booths can be seen everywhere, in hotels, restaurants and airports as well as on the street. Various phone cards are sold in China, available in post offices, inside hotels or at most street newsstands. IC and IP cards are recommended for convenience and low price.

Most public telephones you see in China are IC telephones, which are for local, long distance call and IDD. Generally IC telephone cards are available in amount of CNY20.00, CNY30.00, CNY50.00 and CNY100.00. The rate for local call is CNY0.20/3 minutes while a call exceeding 3 minutes is charged CNY0.10 per 6 seconds for the extra time. Long distance call rates vary according to the distance. International calls with IC telephone cards are relatively expensive, usually over CNY10.00/M. During off peak period and holidays, calls with IC cards enjoy discounts up to 50%. Emergency calls 121 (weather), 119(fire), 120 (hospital), 110 (police) are free and require no phone cards. IC card is issued exclusively by China Telecom.

China Telecom, China Unicom, China Netcom and China Jitong issue IP cards. Rates for international calls vary with different issuers. China Unicom's rate for calls to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan usually is CNY1.50/M, CNY2.60/M to America and Canada, CNY3.60/M to other countries. The other operators' rates for international calls are either a little bit higher or lower than those of China Unicom. Currently, the IP phone service covers the entire country, providing international service between China and over 200 countries and regions.