About 1600,000 Chinese policemen will use unified police certificate from January 1st, 2007.

According to the unified planning of the Ministry of the Public Security, all the Chinese public security organizations will issue the unified police certificate on June 1st, says Wu Heping, deputy director-general and spokesman of the General Office of the Ministry of the Public Security, at a news conference in Beijing, May 30th. He also says that this new police certificate, as police identity, will be used by all Chinese policemen from January 1st next year.

It is reported that Chinese public security organizations will take about half a year to issue the unified police certificate that is unprecedented in history of Chinese public security development. From 31st May, the new certificates will be issued and put into use in four Chinese municipalities, viz. Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing as well as in some parts of Guangdong and Shaanxi Provinces.

The unified police certificate will be issued to and used by about 1,600,000 professional people's policemen, says Fan Jingyu, deputy director-general with Personnel Training Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. These policemen are the ones working in public security organizations of every administrative level, and of several sectors such as railway transportation, communication, civil aviation, forestry and customs, but do not include those working in national security and judicatory departments. The eligible certificate holders should be incumbent professional people's policemen with a certain rank in the public security organizations (viz. they do not include those in police force, border guard police, fire-fighting police or garrisons).

Police certificate integrated with international standard technologies.

It is stated that a valid complete police certificate must contain a leather fold and a card inscribed with all necessary data. The fold is made of black leather with a police badge pattern and five Chinese characters (which literally mean the certificate for people's police) inscribed on its front and two English words ("CHINA POLICE") on its back. When opening the fold, you can see a metal police badge and two golden Chinese words (which literally mean public security) on one part of it, and a card inserted into the other part.

One side of the card is covered with an anti-counterfeiting holographic film on which there are the holder's two-inch color digital photo, his name, the name of public security organization above the county level that he belongs to and his serial number. On the other side of it there are the holder's name, gender, date of birth, duty, rank, blood type and the certificate's term of validity as well as five Chinese characters (which literally mean certificate of people's police) and another twelve Chinese words (which literally mean Ministry of the Public Security of People's Republic of China supervises production of the certificate).

Chinese police authorities point out that the new police certificate is not only pleasant-looking, of low cost and durable, but also integrated with international standard technologies. They also say that with the help of the anti-counterfeiting holographic film which covers the data card, people can instantly sort out the fake certificate with their eyes. If people are not sure whether or not a certificate is a fake, they can report to a certain public security organization and the latter will use an unpublished technology to authenticate it.

When performing their duties, policemen must show their certificates if asked.

In order to standardize the usage of police certificate, Ministry of the Public Security has constituted and issued Provisions on Administration of the Usage of People's Police Certificate which will come to effect on June 1st, 2006. According to this regulation, police shall take their certificates on them and show the certificates on their own initiative to clarify their identity if not against other relevant laws and regulations.

Police uniform and patterns indicating ranks can also show the identity of a policeman, adds Fan Jingyu. It is appropriate for a policeman in uniform not show his certificate before performing his duty. But when asked, he must do it immediately.

Some other insiders also point out this unified police certificate can help the public to identify policemen and get help as soon possible. It provides the public with a superb chance to understand the duties of public security organizations and supervise police performances. It can help get the internal construction of public security organizations on a good track and improve police performances. It also can help policemen to perform their duties and improve their work. Besides, it can get the fake police exposed and be a handy tool against this kind of crime.

By People's Daily Online