Actually, it IS in line with all other carriers that use the weight system, which is the predominant one in use intra-region rather than piece system. They hit hard for excess, usually the formula is 1.5% of the FULL economy fare per excess kilo. That said, if you aren't too much over the limit, sometimes it slides by for checked bags. My strategy for a bit of overweight is to get to the check-in counters really early and preferably with few people around. The agents will often let a foreigner have a few extra kilos (1-4) if there aren't other Chinese passengers around to witness and clamor for the same. No guarantees, though. Carry ons I never see weighed, so overweight them a bit and don't look like you're struggling. Or as moondog says, if you fly a premium class, it might be cost-effective to pay up and take advantage of greater baggage allowance rather than fly economy and pay excess baggage. If you are a Skyteam Elite member of high enough status, you might get some extra allowance--check with CZ and the SE literature.