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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 01, 2002

'Passport for Public Affairs' to be Abolished: Official

Zhong Jianhua, Consular Department head of the Foreign Ministry lately told that "passport for public affairs" is to be called off in use by China and specific efforts are reportedly being made to that end by concerned departments of the Ministry.


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Zhong Jianhua, Consular Department head of the Foreign Ministry lately told that "passport for public affairs" is to be called off in use by China and specific efforts are reportedly being made to that end by concerned departments of the Ministry.

About China's "Passport for Public Affairs"
"Passport for public affairs" has been an offspring of China's past planned economy that has accompanied the People's Republic for over 50 years he said, among the country's diplomatic, public affairs, service and ordinary (public affairs and private) passports along with those to Hong Kong and Macao.

With many a varied contents having nothing to do with the passport itself, "passport for public affairs" has long been a problematic administrative means inconveniencing state institutions and enterprises in conducting foreign affairs. It goes without saying differences have been raised over the passport's function by many foreign embassies, consular and related immigration institutions in China. As are now told by things in today's world there remain China, DPRK and Vietnam as the only three countries that are still using "passport for public affairs". But diplomatic, service and ordinary passports are being universally used in many others across the world.

For Soluting the Passport Problem
Zhong Jianhua specifically points out that "though WTO entry poses no direct challenge to our 'passport for public affairs', yet when foreigners should quote WTO 'ordinary principle' and "'national treatment' principle to challenge our 'passport for public affairs' problems may arise. A satisfactory mechanism to a solution of the passport problem has to be found."

"Private" Passport for Government-sent Personnel Available
It is told that a kind of "private" passport instead of passports "for public affairs" for outbound labor service personnel will be available from April 1 on. So far we haven't yet made a final decision about the passport problem as it takes time whether a 'passport for public affairs' is to be completely dropped or suppose we have some open areas to launched in the way as a solution to the problem we are still considering. For the present we are focusing on doing a good job of passport issuance to outbound labor service personnel. To ensure every convenience for visa application by outbound labor service personnel we are just doing the work in contacting various foreign embassies in China", Zhong said.



By People's Daily Online


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