?According to the announcement recently released by the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, the border inspection authorities of China will, in the year of 2017, collect fingerprints of the inbound foreigners of 14 (including) to 70 (including) years old, except for those with a diplomatic passport or equal and reciprocal arrangement, at all open ports by batches. This will be tried out in ports such as Shenzhen Airport on February 10 before implemented at other open ports.

According to the announcement above, the following foreigners can be exempted from fingerprint collection: foreigners with a diplomatic passport or a diplomatic or courtesy visa, except for foreigners from the countries with equal and reciprocal arrangement, foreigners exempted from fingerprint collection according to bilateral agreements or reciprocal arrangement, foreign countries¡¯ officers of vice-ministerial level or above and members of the delegations led by them, for whom entry formalities are fulfilled in a centralized way, foreigners of whom the fingerprints of all the fingers are incomplete or cannot be collected, and foreigners exempted from fingerprint collection upon permission of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China in special cases.

According to a source of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, the State Council made this decision to collect such biometric identification information of inbound foreigners as fingerprints according to the Exit and Entry Administration?Law?of?the People¡¯s Republic?of?China.

¡°Collecting the biometric identification information of inbound and outbound passengers is an important action for strengthening entry and exit control. It is now taken by multiple countries¡±, said him. The border inspection authorities of China will take effective actions to improve the customs clearance efficiency of ports, maintain a normal order in entry and exit and keep improving the entry and exit control level.

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