Earnings Per Share - Disclosure Of Diluted Earnings Per Share Table (Detail) - CNY (¥) ¥ in Millions, shares in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company:
Profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company used in calculating basic earnings per share	¥ 107,843	¥ 106,641	¥ 117,781
Add: dilution impact on share of profit of investment in an associate due to the associate's convertible bonds (note 23)	0	41	0
Less: fair value gain on the associate's convertible bonds held by the Group, net of tax	0	(632)	0
Profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company used in calculating diluted earnings per share	¥ 107,843	¥ 106,050	¥ 117,781

Dilutive impact due to fair value gain of convertible bonds of associates.

No definition available.

Name:	chl_DilutiveImpactDueToFairValueGainOfConvertibleBondsOfAssociates
Namespace Prefix:	chl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of dilutive potential ordinary shares that relate to the assumed conversion of the entity's convertible instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 33
-IssueDate 2020-01-01
-Paragraph 70
-Subparagraph b
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=33&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_70_b&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2020-01-01

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DilutiveEffectOfConvertibleInstrumentsOnNumberOfOrdinaryShares
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The profit (loss) attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent entity. [Refer: Profit (loss)]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 33
-IssueDate 2020-01-01
-Paragraph 70
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=33&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_70_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2020-01-01

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ProfitLossAttributableToOrdinaryEquityHoldersOfParentEntity
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ProfitLossAttributableToOrdinaryEquityHoldersOfParentEntityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The profit (loss) attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent entity, adjusted for the effects of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. [Refer: Profit (loss)]

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ProfitLossAttributableToOrdinaryEquityHoldersOfParentEntityIncludingDilutiveEffects
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration