China Mobile (中国移动) Accused of Monopoly Clause: Number Transfers Require 10,000 Yuan Prepayment, Customer Service Responds

A consumer rights dispute has erupted after it has been reported that China Mobile (中国移动) told a subscriber seeking to transfer their mobile number that they must prepay 10,000 yuan in call charges before the porting could proceed. The demand, characterized by critics as a “monopoly clause,” was flagged on social media and picked up by domestic outlets. It has been reported that the customer involved shared screenshots of the interaction; the carrier’s customer service later issued a response to the complainant, according to the reports.

What the rule would mean in practice

Mobile number portability (携号转网) was introduced in China to let users switch between the three state-dominated operators—China Mobile (中国移动), China Unicom (中国联通) and China Telecom (中国电信)—without changing numbers. The policy aims to lower switching costs and spur competition in a market long dominated by bundled plans and carrier-centric services. If carriers were in practice imposing large prepayments or deposits to block transfers, consumers say portability would be effectively undermined.

Customer service response and legal context

Reportedly, China Mobile’s customer service told the user the charge related to outstanding fees or fraud-prevention measures; the company has not publicly confirmed a blanket policy of 10,000-yuan prepayments. If such clauses are widespread, they could attract scrutiny under China’s Anti-Monopoly Law and consumer-protection rules, and prompt intervention by regulators such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology or the State Administration for Market Regulation. Past cases show Chinese authorities will act if dominant firms use contractual terms to block competition.

Why this matters now

Why does this story resonate beyond one complaint? Because it touches a broader trust issue between consumers and gatekeeper telecoms in China’s tightly controlled tech ecosystem: can ordinary users actually exercise the rights regulators on paper have granted them? With regulators already vigilant after a wave of tech-sector enforcement in recent years, a high-profile anti-competitive practice in the telecoms sector could trigger quick official follow-up — and renewed public debate about real competition in China’s national networks.