BEIJING, April 2 -- The state immigration administration and exit-entry administration, which are attached to the Ministry of Public Security, formally started operations on Monday.

The founding of the state immigration administration is aimed at enhancing the Party's leadership over immigration and border control affairs, pooling resources to improve management of immigration and better serving the country's development and opening-up, said Guo Shengkun, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, at the inauguration ceremony.

Guo asked the administration to place people at the center, strictly enforce the law, provide better service for citizens and foreigners living in China and contribute to the image of the country.