Shen praises Hangzhou's government efficiency in his video. [Photo/Tide News]

A Hangzhou-based tech blogger recently praised the city's government efficiency after receiving a new passport in less than five hours before an urgent business trip to the United States.

Shen Tao, founder of the Qiushi AI Alliance at Zhejiang University, shared the story in a video posted from the US on May 4.

Just two days before departing for an AI industry event in the US, Shen discovered he could not complete his EVUS registration because his passport had less than six months' validity remaining — potentially preventing him from boarding his flight.

On the morning of April 29, he rushed to the exit-entry service center of Yuhang district public security bureau in Hangzhou. After learning about the emergency, staff immediately activated Zhejiang's express document service mechanism for urgent cases.

According to Shen, officers guided him through the paperwork step by step, while staff from the provincial document production center coordinated the fastest possible processing.

To his surprise, he submitted the application in the morning and received his new passport that same afternoon — all within five hours.

Before leaving China on April 30, Shen returned to the service center to present staff with a thank-you banner.

Police said the expedited service, launched by Zhejiang authorities in late 2025, is designed for urgent travel situations including overseas business, study and medical treatment.

Shen (second from right) sends a thank-you banner to the Yuhang district public security bureau. [Photo/Tide News]