Green card to become smart ID with chip

Foreign permanent residents in China will have their "green cards" upgraded starting in July, which may make their daily life and work easier in the country, according to a reform plan issued by the Ministry of Public Security on Monday.

The existing permanent resident's permit, known as the Chinese green card, will be replaced by the Foreign Permanent Residence Identity Card.

Similar to the second generation of ID cards for Chinese citizens, the machine-readable smart card will contain a chip in which the foreigner's identity information is kept, and the information will be shared by railways, airlines, hotels and banks, according to the plan. The card also has anti-counterfeiting features, officials said.