Sources from the first China Strategic Symposium for Tech Development Bio-metrics Password said that bio-metrics, including iris, fingerprint, and DNA, will be added on China's ID cards and passports for identity confirmation.

According to Dr. Wang Jian, director of Technology Bureau with the Ministry of Public Security, China probably would add bio-metrics to passport as the first step and expand the technology to ID cards in the future.

Security has grown to be a great challenge facing the whole world after the Sept. 11 attack. At present, the US has signed three national security bills requiring application of bio-metrics technology. The World Civil Aviation Organization has also advised that its 188 member countries embed bio-metrics, such as face image, fingerprint, and iris, etc, into passports and plan to put them into use by the end of 2004.

(People's Daily   October 30, 2003)