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Yeah, the process of buying a SIM card in China is:

1. Go to a store (or stall) that has them.

2. Pay money.

In what I (apparently naively) thought wasn't a coincidence, that's exactly the same process that the US uses. I'm kind of shocked to hear that in some countries (Australia?!) you need documentation to purchase one.

Same in New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Portugal (to add to your list of just getting a pre-paid SIM). Getting a mini-SIM is a bit more expensive at the moment if you have a newer phone. In the U.S. T-Mobile doesn't ask for anything identifying either.

In the Netherlands it's really easy, go to any phoneshop and walk out with a pre-paid sim after paying cash.

In Germany you need ID, maximum 2 per ID at a time....