General Information » Essential Info » Police

Within Beijing’s Public Security Bureau there are seven branches of police. The regular police wear dark blue uniforms and hats, and carry batons instead of pistols. Traffic Police have similar uniforms but wear white helmets and usually drive motorbikes. The household registration police are the ones you’ll find knocking at your door to check if you have an up-to-date residency permit.

Hopefully, you will never come face-to-face with the Criminal Investigative Police, who are either uniformed or in civilian dress and deal with serious crimes involving, for example, narcotics, organised crime or fraud.

Beijing’s Fire Brigade is also part of the police force, and is stationed around the city. The Special Duties or Riot Police are only seen at times of civil unrest. The People’s Armed Police Force wears olive green uniforms and stands guard at party and government institutions.

Don’t confuse the police with the PLA (People’s Liberation Army), which you’ll see marching around the city. They’re easy to spot, with olive green uniforms, and many appear to be quite young. In the run up to the Olympics, many everyday police officers have been sent to English language classes, and although most speak no more than a few words, they are generally approachable and helpful. To avoid trouble, foreigners shouldn’t involve themselves in police matters involving Chinese citizens, and should not take photographs of arrests.