Chinese banks are not allowed to use biometrics for authentication

Unless a mature technological standard for biometric identification is established and financial regulations are amended accordingly, the regulator will not allow banks to adopt the practice.

China requires a person who wants to open an account to appear at a bank. The opening of an account serves as a prerequisite for almost all other services a bank offers. Experts have proposed using facial-recognition technology so people will not have to show up in person at a bank.

Critics say the main danger in using biometrics for identification is in how the data is transmitted. The consequences of biometric information being stolen are huge. A lost identification document can be cancelled, but stolen biometrics could be effective forever because the owner cannot change who they are.