China Starts Working out Law on Citizen ID Card

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 31, 2002

China Starts Working out Law on Citizen ID Card

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China is considering changing the rules concerning the issuing of identity cards to its citizens.

The move is intended to make life easier and simpler in the areas of politics, economics and social activities and also better protect their interests and rights.

China's highest legislative body, the National People's Congress is reviewing a draft law on Chinese Citizen ID Card which is based on 1985 Resident ID Card regulations.

In 1985, China established the mechanism of using ID numbers to identify its citizens. However, with China's development, the regulations on that mechanism are becoming out-of-date. The scope of citizenship for ID Card holders is too limited. The technology used in these cards is not advanced enough and there have been many cases of forgery, but the punishments on these kinds of criminals were not effective.

The draft law is designed to make up these shortcomings.

It has proposed to change name of the ID card from "Resident" to "Citizen". While residents refer to those who live in a settled place, citizens refer to people with the nationality of a certain country who enjoy the rights as well as bear the obligations according to laws of this country.

Luo Feng, vice-minister of public security, revealed that China has issued 1.14 billion ID cards since 1985 when it established the mechanism of using ID numbers to identify its citizens.

Draft legislation has enlarged the scope of citizenship for ID card holders to include those servicemen and armed police in active service, criminals serving jail terms, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots residing on the mainland, as well as foreigners and stateless persons residing in China.

New ID cards will use the technology of an integrated circuit (IC) to make them more difficult to forge. The IC identification cards can be read by computers, which makes it possible for police to check the huge numbers of ID cards in a much shorter time than before.

Every Chinese citizen is given an ID number at birth. That number will be extended from the present 15 to 18 digits, Luo said.

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