Proposal of Adding Fingerprint in Resident ID Cards Being Reviewed

China's top legislature on October 24 began to review a draft amendment to the Resident Identity Card Law, which requires fingerprints be added to people's resident identity cards in a bid to combat counterfeiting.

Chinese citizens should have their fingerprints recorded when applying for or changing their resident identity cards, according to a draft amendment which was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for review.

Incorporating fingerprints into resident identity cards will help government offices, transport and telecommunications departments, and financial, educational and medical institutions identify people in a faster and more precise manner, said Yang Huanning, vice minister of public security, in a report to the NPC standing committee.

"It will help fight against terrorism, effectively prevent the use of others' resident identity cards, and curb the counterfeiting and altering of the cards," Yang said.

China launched its first version of resident identity cards in 1985, but these could easily be counterfeited or used in crimes.

In 2004, the country introduced a second version. By 2010, 1.04 billion people nationwide had received the second version of identity cards.

According to the Resident Identity Card Law, the first version of identity cards can still be used as long as they have not expired, but the draft prohibits the use of them from Jan. 1, 2013.

The NPC's bimonthly session is scheduled to be held from Oct. 24 to 29.

Source: Xinhua