According to Legal Evening News, residents in Beijing cannot buy kitchen knives at supermarkets and department stores without providing their government issued ID cards. The customers must register their names by filling out ID cards at the stores and must provide an explanation of the intended use for the kitchen knives. A local resident, Ms. Zhang, just moved into a new home and went to the store to purchase several kitchen knives. She was not allowed to purchase the knives because she did not bring her ID with her. Notices have been posted at the stores stating that, according to an order from the Public Security authorities, those who purchase knives in stores must produce IDs for registration at the stores. Wal-Mart and Happy Go stores now require customers to show IDs when purchasing knives. However, customers can still purchase knives at hardware stores without IDs.
Source: Legal Evening News reprinted at sina.com, January 28, 2012
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2012-01-28/150723848923.shtml?c=spr_sw_bd_maxthon_news