Originally Posted by
JPDM
"I honestly have NO idea how one would acquire a suitable SIM card for China before arriving in China." - Depending on her phone, consider getting an eSIM. This is what I now do when I travel. You order online and instal it ahead of time. It is activated once you enter the country.
This is a popular one:
https://www.airalo.com/china-esim
You also have more traditional suppliers like Orange:
https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-s...ers/china/esim
I think that strip also sells eSIMs.
In the UK, for traditional SIMs there's CMLink which is part of China Mobile. Although they have a UK focussed product and other products for various Asian markets they also offer a global service SIM, worth taking a look if it meets your needs.
And some of our MVNOs (virtual mobile networks) in the UK offer bundles that include inclusive roaming in China or sensible cost bundles to enable it, like Lebara UK.
And as suggested, buying a SIM online that originates from an Asian market like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong with the right bundles can provide cost effective roaming into China.