China will start to take the fingerprints of foreigners entering the country from Friday, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday.

The new system will be piloted by border control authorities at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and some other ports of entry starting Friday, before being gradually rolled out across China by the end of this year, according to a ministry announcement on its website.

All foreigners, ages 14-70, are required to leave their fingerprints when entering China, but foreign diplomats will be exempt, the announcement said.

The ministry said the collecting of fingerprints has become common practice for border control authorities around the world, adding that the move will step up exit and entry management.

Authorities will ensure that the new system is efficient and does not result in unnecessary delays, the ministry said.