Fujian Province, in east China, Monday began using new passports for residents in the inland areas of China to visit Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs).

The province is among the first group of province-level administrative regions in the inland areas of China to adopt the new passport.

It marks the completion of computerization of the system to check and approve passports for the two SARs.

The new passport has 32 pages and a validity of five years.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security has issued new regulations and policies to make it easier for residents in the inland areas of China to visit the SARs.

( People's Daily May 21,2002)