Old IDs phasing out, high-tech ones coming
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-12-26 22:56

Identity cards of up to 1 million Beijing residents are expiring.

Xinhua News Agency reported the public security department will help those residents apply for renewals.

The expired ID cards were mainly received in 1984 and valid for 20 years as well as 1994 cards valid for 10 years, the report said.

From now until March next year, the Beijing municipal government will give priority to people whose ID cards have expired to receive updated cards.

And the updated cards are an improvement. As of January 1, the government will no longer issue the old style written cards.

Instead, the new cards include an electronic chip to store personal information.

It is expected that 5 million Beijing local residents will get updated ones, regardless of whether their old cards have expired.

Residents who apply for new cards will receive them one month after applying, a month less than before.

For those whose ID cards have expired, the public security department will issue free temporary cards until they receive the permanent one.

"The number of residents that came to deal with the updated ID card issue this weekend has increased," said an officer with the Xiaoguan Police Station in Beijing yesterday.

"From October, we began to inform residents whose ID cards will expire by the end of the year to get updated cards," she said yesterday.

According to the police officer, many people were not aware of the importance of having valid identity cards.

Residents without valid ID cards may have a hard time moving, registering to marry, applying to leave the country, taking planes, setting up bank accounts or doing anything that requires legal identification.

The Beijing municipal government began to issue updated ID cards to local residents this year.

Over 1.5 million updated ID cards have been made so far and more than 1.2 million have been issued to local residents in Beijing.

The old-style cards will not be issued any more after January 1.

Close

Today's Top News     Top China News
Asian tsunami kills 12,300, many more homeless         Hu sends condolences; relief team ready         Anti-secession law called 'timely'         Antarctic team halfway to peak         Law to make officials 'take blame and quit'         China launches new generation Internet	Smaller classes may benefit students       Liaoning puts more cash into schooling       Trainstopper of a baby safe and sound       Farmers in Heilongjiang rake in more money       Turkey asked not to set import quotas on textiles       Greater numbers speak Mandarin