The first WeChat ID card was issued during a ceremony held in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, on Monday, Yangcheng Evening News reported. The WeChat ID service will be trialed in Guangdong first, and is expected to be launched nationwide from January.

More than 10 government bodies and companies, including the Ministry of Public Security's Research Institute, China Construction Bank and Tencent, have formed an alliance to build a secure and effective Internet Plus public service environment.

A WeChat ID card, regarded as the network certificate or electronic version of one's ID card, is recognized by the Ministry of Public Security. It can be used where real-name authentication is required, such as hotel registration, ticketing, bank services, and delivery services.

"There is no need to show physical ID cards when conducting commercial and industrial registrations as WeChat ID cards are sufficient," said a staff member working at Nansha district's administrative service center in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.