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Q: Wouldn't life be so easier if foreigners had a 身份证 (Chinese ID card) ?
Even if it was only valid as long as our resident permit... why not?
11 years 7 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
What good would that do? If you could let us know what they are used for then it would be a lot easier to answer this question. But to be honest I wouldn't see a whole lot of purpose for it. When you go to the museum at Tiananment all you need is an id card and it doesn't have to be chinese. A foreign student card works at movie theaters to get discounts too.
no. there is a visa id number and passport number. that is all that is needed.
I get SO tired of apologies when I want to do something but the systems only cater to a Chinese id.
Examples : My friend invited me to play CS in a net bar, great! Went, and guess what? No way they can input a foreign id.
'The police will check today, they called us.' I told them the police won't give a hoot if a foreigner[obviously over 18] is playing CS in a net cafe.
I remember I wanted a medicine VIP card, for 5% off[not bad when youre buying 1000 rmb of insulin a month], but nope, must have a chinese id.
Happens often, and we get used to it. Also for some games services etc. you can only do it with a chinese id.
boqievents is 100% correct.
Want to play online games? Sign up for many online shopping sites? Need a Chinese ID card. Yes, our lives would be a heck of a lot easier with Chinese ID cards, since all the systems only cater to that.
I agree, it would make a lot of things easier. I bet it would be useful even for normal things we use our passports for, like getting an account at a bank or transferring money overseas. Surely the paperwork would go more smoothly, especially in smaller cities where there are few foreigners.
THAT would be great. It would have saved me about 650RMB going from Shanghai to home. I arrived late at the train station and the only way to buy a train ticket was through a machine that required a Chinese ID. No one loaned me one so I spend a mint on a taxi.
Dangit.
Try taking a high speed train without a Chinese ID. I'm batting 0.500.
I think it's totally wrong.I like to be free id cards are just a goverment control system
darkstar1:
Don't really know why you're comment has so many down votes Paul, I for one agree. No wonder people in the UK have continually rejected government calls for ID cards, it's a step towards an Orwellian society in my view.
How good it is if USA will give Green Card to everyone, so everyone can open a Bank Account in USA and How good it is if Britain gives British Nationality to everyone so everybody can enjoy free health.
The above mentioned documents are not impossible but takes time so do Chinese ID card or so called Chinese Green card takes time, just fulfill the Chinese government criteria.
An ID card, even just for buying train tickets, would be very helpful!
I've known a couple of Chinese born in HK but raised abroad (US, Canada) who have both a HK ID and a foreign passport. While not entirely legal, the lucky SOBs don't ever have to apply for visas (they're technically living here on their HK ID) and I think they can use it the same way as a 身份证 for most other things as well.
Easier in the sense of not having to carry a passport, YES!
Easier in the availability of services, probably not.
governor, I hope you are not an English teacher. Franck3
