Can a passport be used as an ID card in China?

No, China passport is not a valid legal identity document in China.

The ID card or temporary id card has the legal effect of proving citizenship. Passports have no such legal effect. Passport is a document to prove citizens' nationality and identity when they travel or stay in their own country.

According to Article 13 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Resident Identity Cards, citizens who need to prove their identity in relevant activities have the right to use their resident identity cards to prove their identity, and the relevant units and their staff shall not refuse.

Passport and ID card can be used in some situations, such as during the examination, during the registration of accommodation, and when going through the exit formalities.

Extended data

Passports handed over by the people of China to foreign countries are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China (PRC) and held by senior officials of the Party, government and army, deputies to the National People's Congress, leading members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, diplomatic officials, consular officials, their accompanying spouses, minor children and diplomatic envoys in People's Republic of China (PRC). The cover of a diplomatic passport is red. There are 32-page and 96-page versions, the latter is for diplomatic messengers.

People's Republic of China (PRC)'s official passport is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China (PRC), and is held by People's Republic of China (PRC), its embassies and consulates abroad or the personnel of China government working in the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other intergovernmental international organizations, their accompanying spouses and minor children.

The cover of the official passport is dark green. Official passport is a passport issued to national public servants, and some countries call it "official passport" of government officials. In addition, all countries issue such passports to staff members who have no diplomatic status in embassies (consulates) abroad and their spouses and adult children.

The official passport has a green cover and a black cover, which is equivalent to the ordinary passport in the past and different from the green cover official passport. Official passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the people of China, China's embassies and consulates abroad or other overseas institutions entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the foreign affairs departments of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and cities with districts entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An official passport is an official passport.

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-ID card

Baidu encyclopedia-passport