Editing Passport (section)

====China====
The [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC) authorises its [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special Administrative Regions]] of [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]] to issue passports to their permanent residents with [[Chinese nationality law|Chinese nationality]] under the "[[one country, two systems]]" arrangement. Visa policies imposed by foreign authorities on Hong Kong and Macau permanent residents holding such passports are different from those holding ordinary passports of the People's Republic of China. A [[Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport]] (HKSAR passport) and [[Macau Special Administrative Region passport]] (MSAR passport) gain visa-free access to many more countries than ordinary [[Chinese passport|PRC passports]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aipassportphoto.com/article/visa-free-china-hong-kong-macau|title=Visa-Free Access for PRC, HKSAR and MSAR Passports|website=aipassportphoto.com}}</ref>

On 1 July 2011, the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China]] launched a trial issuance of e-passports for individuals conducting public affairs work overseas on behalf of the Chinese government.<ref name="MFAbiometric">{{cite web |date=1 June 2011 |script-title=zh:中华人民共和国外交部公告 |url=http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/pds/fw/lsfw/tzgg/t826969.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913110501/http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/pds/fw/lsfw/tzgg/t826969.htm |archive-date=13 September 2011 |access-date=31 August 2011 |publisher=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China]] |language=zh}}</ref><ref name="refworld">{{cite web |date=6 May 2013 |title=China: Procedure and requirements to obtain a biometric passport,... |url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/527a1b5b4.htm |access-date=12 December 2019 |publisher=Canada. Immigration and Refugee Board |via=UNHCR |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728142605/https://www.refworld.org/docid/527a1b5b4.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The face, fingerprints, and other [[biometric]] features of the passport holder is [[Digitize|digitized]] and stored in pre-installed contactless [[Smart chips|smart chip]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Attends the Launch Ceremony for the Trial Issuance of E-Passports for Public Affairs |url=http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/t791409.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205102626/http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/t791409.htm |archive-date=5 February 2011 |access-date=15 February 2011 |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=因公电子护照31日试点签发 可使持照人快速通关 |url=http://www.china.com.cn/travel/txt/2011-02/01/content_21855650.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707014522/http://www.china.com.cn/travel/txt/2011-02/01/content_21855650.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |access-date=15 February 2011 |publisher=中国网}}</ref> along with "the passport owner's name, sex and personal photo as well as the passport's term of validity and [the] digital certificate of the chip".<ref name="canada">{{cite web |date=22 September 2015 |title=Responses to Information Requests: CHN105049.E China: Information on electronic/biometric passports,... |url=https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/pages/attachments/2015/10/22/chn105049.e.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009173927/https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/pages/attachments/2015/10/22/chn105049.e.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2021 |access-date=12 December 2019 |publisher=Canada. Immigration and Refugee Board}}</ref> Ordinary biometric passports were introduced by the [[Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Public Security]] on 15 May 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chinese passports to get chipped |url=http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-05/04/content_15203762.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921030325/http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-05/04/content_15203762.htm |archive-date=21 September 2018 |access-date=5 May 2012 |publisher=China Daily USA}}</ref> As of January 2015, all new passports issued by China are biometric e-passports, and non-biometric passports are no longer issued.<ref name="canada" />

In 2012, over 38 million Chinese citizens held ordinary passports, comprising only 2.86 percent of the total population at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=3800万中国公民持有普通护照 电子护照正式签发启用 |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2012-05/15/c_123134110.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414214856/http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2012-05/15/c_123134110.htm |archive-date=2016-04-14 |access-date=2016-03-31}}</ref> In 2014, China issued 16 million passports, ranking first in the world, surpassing the United States (14 million) and India (10 million).<ref>{{cite web |title=India ranks third in issuing passports |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agartala/India-ranks-third-in-issuing-passports/articleshow/50401641.cms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021741/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agartala/India-ranks-third-in-issuing-passports/articleshow/50401641.cms |archive-date=2016-03-05 |access-date=2016-03-31 |website=Times of India}}</ref> The number of ordinary passports in circulation rose to 120 million by October 2016, which was approximately 8.7 percent of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=国务院关于出境入境管理法执行情况的报告 |url=http://www.mps.gov.cn/n2253534/n2253535/n2253536/c5538068/content.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106061752/http://www.mps.gov.cn/n2253534/n2253535/n2253536/c5538068/content.html |archive-date=2016-11-06 |access-date=2016-11-05}}</ref> As of April 2017 to date, China had issued over 100 million biometric ordinary passports.<ref name="ailvxing1">{{Cite web |title=4月全国启用新号段电子普通护照 你拿到新护照了吗 - 爱旅行网 |url=http://www.ailvxing.com/info-103-24211-0.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034833/http://www.ailvxing.com/info-103-24211-0.html |archive-date=2017-12-01 |access-date=2017-11-19 |website=www.ailvxing.com}}</ref>