According to an associate professor of political science at the University of Melbourne who has researched policing in China there is no national computer system that records all resident identification cards which can alert police nationally of outstanding police summons or arrest warrants (3 Dec. 2001). The associate professor further stated that even most cities do not have "overall coverage of their ID/hukou system" (ibid.).

According to an independent researcher who is also a consultant for Human Rights in China on matters relating to the networking of computers, specifically to surveillance technology in the People's Republic of China, a nationwide Public Security Bureau (PSB) database is "under development, but only certain layers are currently operational" (8 Mar. 2002).

The researcher stated that a computer network that links all 33 provincial level police bureaus and allows the Public Security Bureau (PSB) an "instant comparison of fingerprints with a nationwide database" has been developed (ibid.). In regards to identification cards, the researcher added that the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) had announced in 2000 that a national computerized database containing personal details and identification numbers for every adult in the country would be created within three years (ibid.). In the past, the Chinese government has kept a cumulative file, entitled a dangan, on every individual's "performance and attitudes" spanning from their school years to their adult employment (ibid.). The researcher stated that the information contained in the dangan will be digitized and Chinese citizens will be issued new, second-generation identification cards containing their dangan on an embedded microchip (ibid.). The new card will replace the current paper laminated identification card that contains a person's name, photo, birth date and identification number and is purportedly relatively easy to counterfeit (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Independent researcher and consultant, Human Rights in China. 8 March 2002. Correspondence.

Professor of political science, University of Melbourne. 3 December 2001. Correspondence.

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

Oral sources:

One academic source was unable to provide information

Unsuccessful attempts to contact two academic sources

Internet sites including:

Asia Times

China Daily

China Internet Information Center

Human Rights in China

Human Rights Watch

People's Daily

World News Connection (WNC)

Search Engines:

Google