Scientists from China's top research body, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), suggested Saturday that governmental regulators set uniform technical standards for biometrics products, new hi-tech favorites of places in need of high security, such as airports.

The CAS Institute of Automation, which leads others in biometrics research and commercialization, invited competing research bodies, governmental regulators as well as companies throughout the country into a forum Saturday.

With this endeavor, the institute, also successful in earning money from their fashionable gadgets, wished to avoid unfair rivalry from the budding competition.

Biometrics is computerized verification of human features, regardless of physical or behavioral characteristics. Individuals could be identified, with high precision, by their facial features, irises, fingerprints, voice and handwriting.

The International Civil Aviation Organization advised its members to put biometrics information into passports and other identifications.

Although Chinese scientists have gained the know-how of biometrics technologies, Chinese manufacturers still need to import key hardware from developed countries.

"Competition without rules might make all of us lose the home market in the long run," said Tan Tieniu, head of the CAS institute who initiated the forum.

(Xinhua News Agency October 27, 2003)