

The point is to avoid timezone confusion and simplify international cooperation. Inside the countries, there are some successful experiments: for example, China is present in 5 time zones, but the entire nation lives by UTC+8. And while 5 time zones are not 24, this arrangement is generally regarded positively by the people, despite the fact it’s measured by Beijing, which is located on the east, and not by some point in the middle of the country.
It spans 4,5 hours one way, and 0,5 hours the other way*
So, it’s a big deal.