foreigner in China | company registration
First, WeChat fought against physical money. Now, it's fighting against physical identification cards, to totally make wallets obsolete.This feature will allow for citizens to identify themselves through the WeChat app, without having to carry a physical identification card.
In other words, Chinese citizens will be able to leave their ID cards at home, and use their phone for government services, hotel registration, ticketing, and other situations that require real ID.
The "WeChat ID" pilot program was launched yesterday in Guangzhou’s Nansha District, according to Xinhua.
The service is to be trialed in Guangdong and is set to roll out throughout the country from early 2018. The project aims to prevent online identity forgery. The Ministry of Public Security's Research Institute has supported the new WeChat ID program as well.
Furthermore, the WeChat ID card can be accessed and used in two different ways.
Firstly, there's a "Lightweight Edition" offered for citizens who need to prove who they are to non-government bodies (such as an internet cafe).
And secondly, the "High End Version" is aimed at users who intend to use the service for business registration and more.
To sign up for the Lightweight Edition, users can search WeChat mini apps for the 「Network Certificate」 (網證) app. Next, they will scan their faces to receive their ID card.
The High End Edition will require logging into a secured access terminal through the Weijing Authentication app (微警認證) provided by the Guangzhou’s Nansha District police.
The service will be extended to Shanghai by January. It will be also extended to other cities soon.