A national political adviser has proposed the issuance of identification cards (ID) for overseas Chinese during the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Sunday, though dual nationality will not be considered, media reported on Wednesday. [Special coverage]
Pan Qinglin, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, submitted the proposal, saying that such ID cards can make it more convenient for overseas Chinese to facilitate their investments and start-ups in China, and to forge their and their children's bond with China, news site takungpao.com reported on Wednesday.
Chinese citizenship is one of the most difficult to obtain. China's green card policy was introduced in 2004, but only 4,752 people have received permanent resident status as of 2012, the Xinhua News Agency reported in 2014. Pan told media that he hopes the proposal can be realized by 2019, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and that a reply and specific instructions will soon be issued by relevant authorities.
