China to reform exit-entry administration
( 2001-12-21 17:23 ) (8 )

China will launch a massive reform of its regulations on exit-entry administration, a senior police official said Wednesday in Beijing.

At a meeting on exit and entry administration that started in Beijing on Wednesday, Zhao Yongji, vice minister of Public Security, said a series of measures will be tabled for deliberation at the gathering before being made public.

With China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), the general public has been hoping to see exit and entry administration brought in line with international practice.

Currently, a Chinese citizen must go through complicated procedures to get a passport, including getting the okay from his or her work unit and producing household registration documents.

Zhao said that China will tighten its crackdown on illegal migration, as well as illegal entry, stay and work in China by foreigners.

Zhao hailed the achievements in the exit-entry administration since 1989, when the first national conference on exit-entry administration was held.

Statistics show that since 1989, Chinese police have handled 1.334 billion cross-border tourists and 122 million cross-border vehicles, with annual increases of 27.91 percent and 23.49 percent, respectively.

The public security departments have approved 24.83 million Chinese citizen to go abroad on private business during the period.