China Unicom, the Chinese mobile phone company, has devised a fresh tactic in its fight for market share against its arch rival China Mobile this month: free beer.

But only days after Unicom’s branch in the eastern city of Suqian started to give 12 bottles of local beer to subscribers who agreed to a Rmb100 ($13) down-payment, market leader Mobile replied with its own offer: more beer – up to two crates each.