New mainland China ID card for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan residents will be revoked if holders pose threat to country, documents reveal

State Council, China’s cabinet, publicises document detailing application arrangements for new smart cards

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A mainland ID card, similar to one that will be issued to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan residents. Photo: Weibo

Published: 6:22pm, 19 Aug 2018Updated: 11:35am, 20 Aug 2018

Hongkongers working and living in mainland China will have their identity cards revoked there if they pose a threat to national sovereignty and security, the Chinese government revealed on Sunday.

That came days after the central government announced that residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan could start applying for the new smart cards from September 1 to enjoy access to a wide range of social and public services across the border, including school places for children and a housing scheme.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, publicised a document on Sunday detailing the application arrangements for the smart cards.

Hong Kong residents living and working on the mainland can get the smart card. Photo: AFP

Apart from revealing that each “residence permit” would be valid for five years, the document listed the criteria under which a card could be revoked.

“The residence permit should be declared by the issuing authority as invalid [if the cardholder] lost their resident status in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan … [and if he or she] could harm the nation’s sovereignty, security, reputation and interests,” it said.