The city's existing Social Security Card system will this year further expand the information contained in each card to include marital status details, according to the city's civil affairs authority.

The move is expected to effectively thwart would-be bigamists and also to allow locals to more conveniently prove their marital status, according to the Marriage Affairs Department under the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.

Measures to safeguard privacy will be ensured by personal PIN numbers set by card holders themselves, said a female employee, surname of Wang, on the department's enquiry hotline.

Shanghai's Social Security Card, introduced in 1998 by the city government, is an integrated circuit card which contains a card holder's personal information, including medical insurance, social security funds, public housing funds and employment record.

Shanghai is one of six pilot cities and regions across the country to introduce a database system aimed at making it easier for local residents to access their personal information.

Sources with the Shanghai Social Security Card Service Centre said more than 90 percent of local residents who have registered, have been given the integrated circuit cards.

The next phase of the card issue will cover local children and the retired.

The city's Civil Affairs Authority joined the card system at the beginning of this year by setting up relevant network facilities in all the city's 20 marriage registry offices.

In future those applying to marry or divorce in Shanghai will have to produce their social security cards. Each card will also include basic information on the card holder's spouse, said the authority.

(China Daily January 22, 2003)