diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index d8417d3c..a487278a 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ procps-ng-NEXT
   * free: Add committed line option                        merge #25
   * free: Fix -h --si combined options                     issue #133, #223
   * free: Fix first column justification                   issue #229, #204, #206, Debian #1001689
+  * free: Better spacing for Chinese language              issue #213
   * library: renamed to libproc-2 and reset to 0:0:0
   * library: add support for accessing smaps_rollup        issue #112, #201
   * library: add support for accessing autogroups
diff --git a/free.c b/free.c
index 4e989af4..94943e88 100644
--- a/free.c
+++ b/free.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <wchar.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
 #include "c.h"
@@ -185,13 +186,18 @@ static void print_head_col(const char *str)
 {
     int len;
     int spaces = 9;
+    wchar_t wstr[BUFSIZ];
 
-    len = mbstowcs(NULL, str, 0);
+    len = mbstowcs(wstr, str, BUFSIZ);
     if (len < 0)
         spaces = 9;
-    else if (len < HC_WIDTH)
-        spaces = HC_WIDTH - len;
-    else
+    else if (len < HC_WIDTH) {
+        int width;
+        if ( (width = wcswidth(wstr, 99)) > 0)
+            spaces = HC_WIDTH - width;
+        else
+            spaces = HC_WIDTH - len;
+    } else
         spaces = 0;
 
     printf("%s%.*s", str, spaces, "         ");