The Chinese government is rolling out the country’s first electronic passports.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Huang Ping told Xinhua that the microchipped passports would help thwart counterfeiting and allow China to play an important role in the future of global travel.
According to Ping, the next-gen travel documents will initially be distributed to government officials flying abroad on state business.
So, what information does the new passport contain?
Well, it stores personal data, including first & last names, personal numeric code, the issuing bureau, citizenship status and terms of validity.
The new travel documents will be printed by Shanghai Banknote and Shanghai Mite.
The two companies are also expected to produce electronic passports for private citizens at some (unspecified) point in the future.
