The fingerprinting of foreigners will be introduced at Shenzhen airport in the south from Friday, and it will then be gradually rolled out at other entry points around the country, the ministry said in a statement.

All foreign passport holders aged 14-70 will have to give their fingerprints, it said, without saying if other biometric data would also be collected.

According to the ministry, biological identification like fingerprinting is an effective way to strengthen entry and exit control.

Before China, in United States, Japan, Cambodia, and some other countries, similar approach have been applied to reinforce security at the airports.

Those with diplomatic passports or beneficiaries of reciprocal agreements will not be required to provide fingerprints./.

( VNF/China News )