From September 23 onwards, Chinese mainland resumed issuing visas for visitors 
to Macao. Thanks to the mutual recognition system of Macao blockchain health 
code and Guangdong health code launched in May, mainland Chinese tourists can 
apply and use Guangdong health code to verify their health status when entering 
Macao. Up to date, more than 17 million people have cleared customs between 
Chinese mainland and Macao using the blockchain system. The average time of 
receiving, transforming, and generating the health code for the first time is 
only 100 seconds. And it will only take less than 3 seconds to complete the 
procedure when traveler clears customs again.

In May, Serviços de Saúde de Macau (SSM) and Macao Science and Technology 
Development Fund (FDCT) became the first to establish a blockchain-based health 
code system to fight the epidemic - Macao blockchain health code. It serves as 
an electronic pass for residents to access public places. It is a coherent part 
of Macao's epidemic prevention measures and is later extended to add the mutual 
recognition mechanism with the Chinese mainland's Guangdong health code system. 
Due to the epidemic, Macao suspended tourist visa application in January 2020. 
The establishment of Macao blockchain health code and the mutual recognition 
mechanism with Guangdong health code greatly improves the efficiency and 
accuracy of information verification across borders. It proves to be an 
effective solution to bring travel between Chinese mainland and Macao back to 
normal.

Macao blockchain health code is implemented based on China's open-source 
blockchain platform FISCO BCOS and WeIdentity for reliable information 
verification across organizations. 

Mutual recognition of health codes across jurisdictions has a major challenge 
to overcome – the information security and privacy protection regulations in 
both Chinese mainland and Macao. Health authorities in Chinese mainland and 
Macao need to verify the health information submitted by users crossing the 
border and yet they are not supposed to exchange data directly with each other 
to stay in compliance with their corresponding regulations. The way WeIdentity 
solution works - IDs and personal health data are encrypted to verifiable 
digital credentials signed by the issuing authorities and recorded on the 
consortium blockchain network serving the participating organizations. Users 
transmit data to the receivers directly via a secured communication channel. 
Receivers will be able to verify the integrity of the data received by 
comparing with the corresponding digital credentials as recorded on blockchain. 
Such a blockchain-based solution on one hand offers a robust data verification 
mechanisms among trusted parties, while at the same time ensures that the 
generation and the use of the Macao health code fully comply with the Personal 
Data Protection Act of Macao.

In addition, the mutual recognition mechanism enables the seamless conversion 
of health codes for the users without the need to fill in personal information 
repeatedly on different platforms, offering great convenience and ease of use 
for cross-border travelers. 

With FISCO BCOS and WeIdentity, a robust solution is created to overcome the 
challenge faced by health authorities and border controls around the world and 
apparently offers an answer on how to enable cross-border travel once again 
during the time of a pandemic.

SOURCE  FISCO BCOS