Australian standard plugs (i.e., Australian standard plugs) and Chinese three-prong plugs (Chinese standard three-prong plugs) are basically the same in physical structure and are generally interchangeable, but there are some minor differences.
Three-prong plugs can be directly inserted: Australian standard three-prong plugs (two flat live/neutral prongs + ground prong) are highly compatible with the socket layout and size of Chinese standard three-prong sockets. Chinese three-prong sockets can usually directly accept Australian standard plugs without an adapter.
Two-prong plugs are incompatible: Australian standard two-prong plugs are angled (figure-eight shaped), while Chinese standard two-prong plugs have parallel prongs. Because of their different shapes, Australian standard two-prong plugs cannot be inserted into Chinese standard two-prong sockets, and vice versa.
Safety shutter restriction: Since 2015, Chinese standard three-prong sockets are required to have a safety shutter, requiring the ground wire hole to be opened before connecting the live and neutral wires. Because Australian standard two-prong plugs lack a ground pin, they cannot trigger the safety shutter mechanism of Chinese standard three-prong sockets. Therefore, even if forcibly inserted, they may experience poor contact or become unusable.
Australian standard three-prong plugs can be used with Chinese standard three-prong sockets; however, Australian standard two-prong plugs cannot be used with Chinese standard two-prong or three-prong sockets. For universal compatibility, it is recommended to bring a Type-I (Australian standard) to universal socket adapter.
