A few days ago I wrote about the new regulation that would become effective on September 1 that says that you have to identify yourself when buying a mobile number (either pre-paid or subscription). Yesterday my sister arrived in China for my wedding, and I bought her a pre-paid SIM card at one of the roadside stalls. And guess what? We just paid the fee and got the number. No questions asked about identity. I asked the sales person, but he did not seem to understand what I was talking about. Maybe because of my Chinese, or possibly because he was not aware of any changes in the law. Was it just an announcement that was not implemented?