Lack of efficiency and clarity deter participation, report Luo Wangshu in Chongqing and Cao Yin in Beijing.

Elsa Jacquin has a social insurance card issued by the Chinese government, but the French expatriate is not sure if she is covered by the country's social security network, and doesn't know where to seek an answer to this and many other questions.

"How should I draw my pension? Where should I go when I relocate to other cities in China? How can I access unemployment or maternity benefits?" she asked, adding that many of her friends are just as confused.