Traveling abroad & ID card HELP! Intelligent experts please help!?

[December]

Hi I'm currently a resident, not citizen of the U.S. During the summer I'm planning to travel to my hometown country China. But the thing is, my ID card is going to expire in September 2009. Some people say that you have to renew your ID card a year earlier before going abroad. My passport is renewed though. So Can I still go with the fact that my ID is almost expiring? Remember I'm not a citizen so the policies are different.
Thank you very much(*_*)