On September 1st, Mr. Li applies for a residence permit. (by Gong Changjun)

　　On September 1st, the Regulations on Application and Issuance of Residence Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents was implemented. At 9:00 a.m. on the same day, the Dongshan Police Station of the Public Security Bureau in High-tech Zone welcomed the first Taiwan compatriot Mr. Li, who applied for a residence permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents. After the submission of certification materials, portrait collection, and fingerprint collection, it only took five minutes for Mr. Li to finish the entire application process.

　　Wu Weihua, head of the Household Administration Brigade of the Law and Order Brigade of the Yichang Municipal Public Security Bureau, said: "The residence permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents applied by Mr. Li is the first residence permit to be issued in Yichang. Within 20 working days, Mr. Li can get his own residence permit. Yichang has set up 40 acceptance points to handle the relevant procedures for qualified Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots."

　　Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents who have lived in the mainland for more than six months and match one of the conditions of legal and stable employment, legal and stable residence or continuous study can take the valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents or the Five-Year Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents to apply for a residence permit at local public security organs on voluntary basis. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents under 16 may ask their guardians to apply for the residence permit on their behalf.

　　"I have been living in Dongshan Industrial Park of High-tech Zone for more than 10 years. With the residence permit, doing business in the mainland will be easier," Mr. Li said.

　　It has been learned that from September 1st, licensed residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan can enjoy three rights—employment, social insurance and the payment, withdrawal and use of housing provident funds in accordance with the law—and six basic public services, namely compulsory education, employment, public health, culture and sports and legal services. They can also enjoy services in the nine areas of registration of motor vehicles, application for driving licenses, registration of vocational qualification examinations, application for vocational qualifications, registration of birth services, accommodation, transportation, financial services like bank services, insurance, securities and futures and same treatment in cultural, entertainment and travel consumption.

　　Residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who engage in relevant activities in the mainland shall have the right to use their residence permits to prove their identity if they need to, and relevant units and staff cannot refuse to accept the residence permits. At present, banks, telecommunication, railway and civil aviation divisions and hotels have been generally equipped with ID card machines. After getting the residence permits, residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan can be checked rapidly and conveniently by using existing ID card machines.