英语笔记八

The new version of China's Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card was officially issued and came into use on Friday, aiming to facilitate the daily life of foreigners in China.

According to the National Immigration Administration, the first batch of 50 foreigners received the card on Friday after qualifying for permanent residence in China. They are from over 20 countries, including the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and have made outstanding contributions to China's social development.

Many permanent resident foreigners also came to inquire about the renewal of their cards at entry and exit administration departments in places such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and cities in Guangdong province.

Mao Xu, director of the NIA's Foreigners Management Department, said that due to the incorporation of five-starred elements symbolizing the Chinese national flag, the new version of the permanent residence permit is also referred to as the "Five-Star Card".

The NIA has comprehensively improved and upgraded the machine-readable and visually readable areas of the card. It has also perfected its technical specifications, optimized and improved its layout and enhanced its anti-counterfeiting performance, making it more secure, aesthetically pleasing and practical, Mao said.

"This move aims to facilitate the work, study and life of foreign talents in China and serve the country's high-level openness and high-quality development," he said.

The new version of the card has adjusted the document number from the previous 15 digits to 18, with a unique set of numbers assigned to each individual for lifelong identification, he said.

The chip storage technology has also been adjusted, optimizing the way document information is stored to be more compatible, allowing for quick and accurate reading and retrieval of information by widely used identity card reading devices, Mao said.

People can use the new card independently when proving their identity, such as for public, government and internet services. There is no need for them to present their passports again, the NIA said.

Furthermore, holders of the "Five-Star Card" can use it, along with a valid passport, for multiple entry and exit from China without additional visa or residence permit procedures.

When living in China, holders can use the card for various types of transportation, accommodation check-in, and handling financial services such as banking, insurance, securities and futures.

Kirill Solonin, a professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, was one of the first applicants to get the new ID card on Friday. He praised the design of the five-starred elements and said he had been eager to apply for it for a long time.

"The entire application process is not complicated. I have been engaged in academic research in China for about 10 years, and most of my academic achievements were obtained in China. After obtaining this card, I feel very happy, as if it is recognition from the country," he said.

Solonin said the new card will bring him a lot of convenience, especially in transportation and financial services.

"In the past decade, there have been quite a few policy changes in China's permanent residence policies, making the procedures simpler. We often handle procedures related to immigration documents, and I remember when I joined the university in 2013, the documentation process was complicated, requiring a large stack of materials," he said.

Douglas K. Prescott, head of the Canadian International School of Beijing, said that he travels a lot in China, and the new card will make his travel easier when taking a train, plane or boat, or visiting tourist attractions.

He said the Chinese government has stuck to its commitments to make it easier for foreigners to come and work in the nation.

HONG KONG -- The exhibition hall of "China Manned Space Exhibition" at the Hong Kong Science Museum is packed with people, who are eager to see some 30 groups of exhibits on display.

Visitors can not only enjoy the Shenzhou spacecraft return capsule, a model of the space station, models of different types of carrier rockets, but also an intravehicular space suit and so on.

The exhibition is divided into two exhibition areas, located in the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of History.

The exhibition area at the Hong Kong Museum of History centers around the history of China's manned space development, while the exhibition at the Hong Kong Science Museum displays remarkable engineering achievements and exciting prospects for future development.

In Hong Kong Science Museum's exhibition hall, visitors gathered in front of the Shenzhou XIII return capsule. "This is a real object, incredible," they stopped, took pictures and communicated with people around them.

On the other side of the exhibition hall, there is a long line in front of the interactive exhibit "Space station rendezvous and docking" project, where visitors can use a joystick to simulate astronauts to control the Shenzhou manned spacecraft to rendezvous and dock with the space station.

A student surnamed Wong from Tsing Yi Trade Association Primary School, and her friends finally completed the docking after three attempts. "It looks very simple, but after the actual operation, it is really not easy, and every step must be very precise to complete the docking," she said.

"This exhibition not only shows large installations, but also astronauts' daily necessities in space, which greatly satisfies curiosity," a man surnamed Keung said. "I hope that such exhibitions will be held more often in the future so that citizens can experience the nation's space power up close."

The exhibition is open to all people in Hong Kong and Macao, free of charge until Feb. 18 next year, and is expected to attract 260,000 visitors.