Politics

China issued a regulation that will take effect on January 1, 2008 granting its servicemen and armed police civilian identity cards, aiming to help them handle personal affairs such as banking and car, house, and insurance purchases. The regulation signifies an ending to the lack of civilian identity cards in the Chinese army and armed police forces. According to the regulation, servicemen and armed police are going to have both civilian and military identity cards from the start of next year. The civilian identity cards are to be used in private and civilian matters that require the identification of their citizenship, while the military identity cards are to be used only when the bearers need to identify their status as police or military personnel.

China released a new guide about industries for foreign investment and foreign companies. The new guide will replace the 2004 version and will take effect from December 1, said the National Development and Reform Center (NDRC). Foreign investors are invited to join efforts to promote recycling, clean production, use of renewable energy, and ecological protection of the environment. However, China will prohibit foreign investors from exploiting "important and nonrenewable" mineral resources, and to restrict energy consumption and highly-polluting projects. Foreign companies are also restricted from entering "strategic and sensitive" industries relating to national economic security, but NDRC did not specify these industries or the restrictions placed on them.