China's Top Legislature Passes ID Card Law

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, June 28, 2003

China's Top Legislature Passes ID Card Law

Chinese lawmakers have endorsed laws on citizens' new ID cards, port facilities and the prevention of radioactive pollution. They also ratified China's decision to join the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in Southeast Asia.

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The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, passed a law of citizen's identification cards Saturday.

According to the law, Chinese citizens are expected to have new-version identification cards soon.

The law, compared with the resident ID card regulations adopted in 1985, focused more on safeguarding the citizens' rights, said Ying Songnian, a member of the Committee for Internal and Judicial Affairs of the NPC and law professor with the National School of Administration.

According to the law, no organization or individual has the right to check or distrain citizen's ID card except for the police holding proper reasons. The police must keep confidential any personal information obtained from citizens' ID card.

The new ID card, with the application of integrated circuit (IC)technology, can be read by computer as well.

The new law enlarges the scope of ID card holders by including those below the age of 16, who may thus exercise their civil rights.

The low-income citizens will be less or not charged accordinglyfor the cost of their ID cards in accordance with the law.

"The law shows more care for citizens," said Ying, adding that the legislators took suggestions widely from the public during their discussion of the legislation.

Jiang Zhenghua, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said that the ID card law means a great progress in improving the legal system and protecting citizens' legitimate rights.

The new law will be in effect as of January 1, 2004.

The lawmakers also approved the law on the prevention of radioactive pollution after three reviews. The law stipulates that the public have the right to be well informed of radiation pollution and measures for its prevention.

During Saturday's meeting, NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo stressed the need to educate the public about the work of China's legislature. In closing remarks he said the SARS epidemic has given pause for thought.

Wu said, "SARS has not only strengthened the implementation of the law on the prevention and control of Contagious Diseases, but has also been an education for all of us. It will profoundly influence public awareness of the law. We learned that the best legislative education is social practice. "

Wu noted that the law must be applied to efficiently solve social issues. Lawmakers also ratified the State Council's motion on joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation In Southeast Asia. The approval makes China the first big country outside Southeast Asia to join the treaty.

The top legislature also ratified the State Council's motion of joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation In Southeast Asia and its two amending protocols.

The approval will make China the first to join the treaty among all the big countries outside Southeast Asia. It will also further boost the good cooperative relation between China and the ASEAN countries, lawmakers said.

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