Beijing issues second-generation ID card

At a ceremony held Sunday morning marking the issue of Beijing's second-generation ID card, seven-year-old Zhao Xiran receives his ID card, the first one of its kind in Beijing, from Ma Zhenchuan, director of the Public Security Bureau of the city. Zhao at the same time becomes the first Beijing resident under 16 who receives a second-generation ID card.

"With the card I know my identity, and using it I can travel by air, register in hotel and put my pocket money into bank", the seven-year-old boy told reporters excitedly.

New-generation ID cards issued

Li Yuan from Jiaodaokou community becomes the first adult resident to receive the second-generation ID card, whose card happened to be the first one made by police departments.

Zhao and Li have donated their cards to the Beijing Police Museum for permanent collection. The first of China's first-generation ID card born in 1984, owned by an opera actor, has become a national first-class cultural relic in the museum. To meet the need of donation, police department specially made two cards for Zhao and Li respectively.

Zhao is the only minor among owners of the 1,656 first-batch new ID cards made by Dongcheng District. By June 2006, all the ID cards of Beijing residents will be replaced by second-generation ones, which are made by sophisticated anti-forgery and printing techniques.

By People's Daily Online