China Mobile International unveiled CMLink, an MVNO targeted at the 500,000-strong Chinese community living in the UK.

The MVNO will run on EE’s network and offer free calls to its parent company’s 880 million subscribers in mainland China and Hong Kong. It will be marketed at Chinese-British communities and Chinese nationals visiting the UK.

SIM-only tariffs range from £5 to £18, depending on the amount of data required and are valid for a month. The company is also offering a standard prepaid option.

By launching in the UK, China Mobile International joins rivals China Unicom – which launched MVNO CUniq in 2016 – and China Telecom, which operated UK brand CTExcel since 2012.

China Mobile International is a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of China Mobile with a presence in 19 markets around the world. Most of its operations are not consumer-facing, with a focus on international interconnection services, roaming and enterprise products.

Li Feng, CEO of China Mobile International, said the company is “breaking new ground in overseas markets” with the launch adding: “We expect the UK launch to be a new chapter in CMI delivering compelling digital services that break down barriers of communication for global consumers.”