China's public security authorities announced on June 16 that the 2017 version of foreign permanent residence ID card was officially put into use. Eight foreign nationals in Beijing were issued the new ID card last Friday.

The new version of the identity card, which is based on the design of China’s second generation identity card, is embedded with a chip containing information, including their name, gender, date of birth, nationality, registration agencies and ID numbers.

The new ID cards will be machine-readable. Holders can use the card independently as lawful proof of identity for matters related to finance, education, health care, travel, accommodation, communication, employment, tax, social security, property registration, lawsuits and others.

Foreigners can apply for the new version of the permanent residence ID card, while the old version will stay valid until the expiration date. The Beijing public security authorities will streamline the process of issuing the new card, promising to issue it within 20 days of the application from holders of the old card.

According to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, 598 foreigners were issued permanent ID cards in Beijing in 2016, which is 2.8 times that of 2015. This is partly led by 20 new policies put forth by the Chinese public security authorities to support Beijing’s innovation-driven development.

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