China mulls penalties for identity theft for school, college admissions

BEIJING -- Chinese lawmakers are considering specific penalties for those who steal the identities of others to enroll in a school or college.

The draft amendment to the nation's Education Law was presented Wednesday to the lawmakers for the first reading at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Such impostors will have their admission qualifications revoked and be barred from relevant national examinations for one to three years, according to the draft.

Impostors who have been awarded academic diplomas will have their diplomas revoked and those who have been employed by public institutions will be dismissed, the draft says.

Acts of identity theft that constitute a crime shall be investigated to determine criminal responsibility, it adds.