Chinese infants are now entitled to identity (ID) cards that they previously could not get until turning 18.

It has left some parents arguing that the expanded use of the cards at younger ages could lead to rising risks.

In East China's Anhui Province, more than 300 children under 16 years of age - and the youngest of whom was only 14 months old - have applied for ID cards since February.

According to the Chinese law on ID cards which took effect at the beginning of the year, citizens under 16 are now able to hold ID cards if they desire.

Professor Wang Banghu, dean of the department of social sciences at Anhui University, says the use of ID cards marks the efficiency of China's population management, and the expansion of its use to children shows "care about humans and respect to individuals" during the society's transformation to modernity.

"The children were born citizens, and they can enjoy rights at a moderate level and have responsibility within their capacity," Wang said.

But some parents think differently. Zhang Ping, the mother of a 10-year-old, said with an ID card, juveniles would be able to travel and check into hotels without their parents' permission, risking unrestrained behaviour or even illegal activities.

In China, people are required to bear legal identity documents, with the identity card the most universally used and accepted, to prove their legitimate identity when travelling, lodging, getting married, going abroad, buying a house, getting a bank account, taking a trip in a plane or joining the army.

China began using ID cards in the mid-1980s, but Chinese had little sense of using ID cards for a long period under the planned economy.

Free market reforms brought about booming economic growth. As a result, free and massive human movement for business purposes greatly promoted the use of the ID card, which is the most legally binding identity document.

Huang Xiaolin, a 14-year-old girl, is happy to have her own ID card. She used to be annoyed by the difficulties she had proving her identity when travelling alone, taking a plane or checking into hotels.

Huang got her ID card with her mother's help. "I felt as if I had grown up and should take some social responsibility."

Xu Jia, the 14-month-old baby, was oblivious to his father's decision to get him an ID card.

His father, surnamed Xu, said he wanted to open a bank account in his son's name and deposit a certain amount of money regularly for his future education.

"He obviously had no ID card before and it was hard to open a bank account for him. But now it is very easy," Xu said. China issued the ID card law to replace its nearly two-decade-old regulations on ID cards that were put in force in 1985.

Meanwhile, China is starting a nationwide programme to replace the first generation of ID cards with more intelligent, computer-accessible ID cards.

The country has so far issued a total of 1.3 billion ID cards, including reissues for people who have lost cards and 900 million people hold ID cards, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Zhang Zhenhua, the ID card officer of the Public Security Bureau of Hefei, capital of Anhui, says children have to go through the same procedures when applying for an ID card.