Not having a local phone number in China creates friction at almost every turn. The food delivery app asks for SMS verification. The train ticket platform won’t let you complete a booking without one. The restaurant hostess gestures that she needs to call you when your table is ready, and your international number isn’t ringing through.

A tourist eSIM solves your data problem immediately. It does not solve the phone number problem. That is why even travelers who arrive with a perfectly functioning travel eSIM often end up at a carrier store within 48 hours.

This guide compares the three major Chinese mobile carriers from the perspective of someone who does not read Chinese, does not have a Chinese bank account, and just wants a working SIM within a few hours of landing.

The Three Carriers at a Glance

Before choosing a local SIM, compare it against travel data options in the China eSIM comparator and the SIM vs eSIM vs roaming guide. Payment setup also matters at carrier stores, so review the China payment guide first.

China Mobile is the state-owned giant with nearly a billion subscribers. Its network reaches places the other two carriers do not bother with, including most stretches of the high-speed rail network and remote national parks. For a traveler planning to visit Guilin’s rice terraces, Zhangjiajie’s sandstone pillars, or anywhere west of Chengdu, China Mobile is the safer choice.

Recommended option: We recommend Airalo’s China eSIM — install before you fly, activate on arrival. It is a practical choice if you want mobile data ready before you leave the airport. Another option: Holafly — install via app before landing, same easy setup.

China Unicom has the second-largest subscriber base and focuses on urban areas and data-heavy usage. Its 4G and 5G speeds in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou are on par with or occasionally faster than China Mobile’s. Unicom’s airport counters tend to have the most English-speaking staff, which matters when you are trying to explain exactly which plan you want.

China Telecom is the smallest of the three in the mobile market. Historically a fixed-line and broadband company, its mobile network is strongest in southern provinces like Guangdong, Fujian, and Yunnan. It tends to offer the cheapest plans, but expect near-zero English support outside of Shanghai and Beijing flagship stores.

China MobileChina UnicomChina Telecom
CoverageBest overall, rural and trainsExcellent in cities, weaker ruralStrong in south, gaps in north/west
English supportModerate at airport storesBest among the threeMinimal
Tourist plan price~¥100 for 20 GB~¥80 for 15 GB~¥60 for 10 GB
5G availabilityWidest 5G networkCompetitive 5G in citiesGrowing 5G footprint
Best forRoad trips, rural travelCity stays, English supportBudget travelers in the south

Most travelers will be happy with either China Mobile or China Unicom. China Telecom is worth considering only if you land at an airport that has a Telecom counter with English service and you plan to stay in the south.

Where to Buy: Airport vs City Store vs Online

Airport Counters (easiest for first timers)

Every major international airport in China — Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun, Chengdu Tianfu, Shenzhen Bao’an — has carrier counters in the arrivals hall. Staff at China Unicom and China Mobile counters in these airports usually speak enough English to handle a SIM purchase. You will need your passport and about 15 minutes.

The downside is price. Airport plans tend to be ¥20–30 more expensive than the same plan purchased in the city. A China Unicom tourist SIM that costs ¥80 at Pudong Airport might cost ¥50 at a store on Nanjing Road. Whether that premium is worth it depends on how urgently you need connectivity. If you already have a travel eSIM for data, waiting until you reach the city saves a bit of money and gives you more plan options.

City Carrier Stores (cheaper, more plan choice)

Once you leave the airport, look for official China Mobile (中国移动) or China Unicom (中国联通) stores. They are everywhere — on major shopping streets, inside malls, near university campuses. Avoid the tiny reseller shops that display all three carrier logos; they often charge a markup and are less consistent with foreign passport registration.

At a city store, expect a clerk who types your details into a tablet, takes a photo of your passport, asks you to look at a camera for facial verification, and hands you a SIM card. The whole process takes 10–20 minutes. The facial scan is a government-mandated real-name registration step and is unavoidable — it is the same for Chinese citizens buying a SIM.

You will need to choose between a physical SIM (standard) and, in some stores, an eSIM profile for your phone. China Mobile started offering tourist eSIMs in mid-2025 at select stores, but availability is inconsistent. Bring a SIM ejector tool or paperclip.

Online / Pre-Order (hit or miss)

A few third-party services like Nihao Mobile and China Telecom’s tourist portal let you order a SIM online and pick it up at the airport or have it delivered to your first hotel. These services often charge ¥150–200 for a plan that costs ¥80 in-store. The value is in the English-language setup guide and the guarantee that the SIM works on arrival. For travelers who land late at night when airport counters are closed, this option is worth considering despite the premium.

What You Actually Need vs What They Try to Sell You

When you sit down at a carrier counter, the staff member will almost always recommend their most expensive plan. It will include things you do not need: a large domestic voice allowance, bundled streaming services, a Chinese cloud storage subscription. Politely decline and ask for a “data SIM” or “tourist plan.”

What you actually need:

  • Data: 10–20 GB for a one- to two-week trip. Maps, ride-hailing, translation, and social media rarely exceed 1 GB per day unless you stream video. Most tourist plans include 15–20 GB.
  • A local phone number: This is the whole point. Make sure the plan includes a real 11-digit Chinese mobile number starting with 1. Some data-only SIMs exist, but they defeat the purpose.
  • A validity period that covers your stay: Prepaid plans typically come in 7-day, 15-day, and 30-day increments. Buy a duration slightly longer than your trip to avoid an expiration surprise.
  • English or bilingual customer service hotline: China Mobile’s English hotline is 10086 (say “English” when prompted). China Unicom’s is 10010. Save these in your phone.

Things you do not need that staff will try to add:

  • Bundled domestic calling minutes (you will use WeChat voice calls)
  • Cloud storage or streaming add-ons
  • A router or portable Wi-Fi hotspot device (your phone hotspot works fine)
  • A “premium” plan with more data than you can use in a month

Activation and Setup Step by Step

  1. Insert the SIM. Use a SIM ejector tool. Most Chinese SIMs are nano-SIM; double-check the size before popping it out of the card.

  2. Power on and wait. The phone usually connects to the network within 30 seconds. You will receive a welcome SMS in Chinese. It contains your phone number. Take a screenshot of this message.

  3. Check APN settings. On most phones, the Access Point Name configures automatically. If data does not work after a few minutes, go to Settings → Cellular/Mobile Data → APN and verify that it is set to cmnet (China Mobile), 3gnet (China Unicom), or ctnet (China Telecom). This step is rarely needed on recent iPhones and Android devices.

  4. Test with a WeChat login. Open WeChat and try to send a message. If WeChat connects, your data is working. If not, toggle Airplane Mode on and off to force a network reconnection.

  5. Start collecting verification codes. The entire reason you bought this SIM is about to pay off. Open the apps that demand a Chinese number — Meituan, 12306, Ele.me — and complete their SMS verification. Do this while you are at a cafe with Wi-Fi, not while standing on a metro platform.

What a Local SIM Cannot Fix

Even with a Chinese SIM card, you will notice that some apps behave strangely. Google services — Maps, Gmail, Google Drive — are blocked on Chinese networks regardless of your SIM. Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and X (Twitter) are similarly unreachable without a VPN. This is not a carrier problem; it is a national firewall restriction.

This is why the smartest setup for most travelers is a two-SIM strategy: a travel eSIM for uncensored data (to reach Google Maps, WhatsApp, and Instagram) plus a cheap local SIM for the phone number and SMS capabilities. On a modern iPhone or Android, you can set your data to come from the travel eSIM while keeping the Chinese SIM active for calls and texts. This combination costs about ¥150–200 total and solves both problems at once.

China Mobile and China Unicom do not block VPN usage on their networks, but they throttle VPN traffic at certain times, especially during major political events. If you plan to use a VPN on a local SIM, test it on a weekday morning before relying on it.

Quick Reference

  • Best carrier for most travelers: China Unicom (best English support, competitive city coverage)
  • Best for rural travel: China Mobile (wider coverage, works on most high-speed rail routes)
  • Cheapest: China Telecom (if you are staying in southern China)
  • What to bring: Passport (mandatory), ¥100–200 in cash or Alipay balance, SIM ejector tool
  • Where to buy: Airport arrivals counter for convenience; city carrier store for lower prices
  • English hotlines: China Mobile 10086, China Unicom 10010
  • Two-SIM setup for uncensored apps: Travel eSIM for data + local Chinese SIM for the phone number

Planning your trip?
eSIM plan comparator — Compare data plans across different China eSIM providers.

Explore all China travel tools — trip planner, visa checker, currency converter and more.

Explore all China travel tools — trip planner, visa checker, currency converter and more.

Planning your trip?
eSIM plan comparator — Compare data plans across different China eSIM providers.

Planning your trip?
eSIM plan comparator — Compare data plans across different China eSIM providers.