China Emergency Numbers for International Visitors

The emergency number for police in China is 110; the other China emergency numbers are 119 for fire, 120 for emergency medical rescue, and 122 for a road traffic accident. These are real emergency lines: never make a test call. First move away from immediate danger if you can, then call the service that matches the principal threat and give a precise location, what happened, and how many people need help.［1］［2］

Key Takeaways

• 110 is police, 119 is fire, 120 is emergency medical rescue, and 122 is traffic police for road accidents.
• Protect yourself from traffic, fire, violence, electricity, water, or another active hazard before calling.
• Start with the city, district, road, building, landmark, floor, and room.
• Keep the line open, answer briefly, and follow dispatcher instructions.
• Ask hotel, station, venue, security, police, or another trusted person for language help when necessary.
• A mobile app, internet connection, or VPN is not a prerequisite for seeking emergency help.

Which China emergency numbers should you call?

Situation	Number	What to report first
Assault, theft in progress, immediate police danger	110	Location, danger, people involved
Fire, smoke, explosion risk, trapped people	119	Exact location, what is burning, trapped people
Serious illness or injury needing emergency medical rescue	120	Location, symptoms or injury, patient count
Road traffic accident	122	Road and direction, vehicles, injuries, traffic hazard

The National Immigration Administration lists these four services in its visitor guidance.［2］ Beijing's official guidance additionally tells callers to state the facts and location and prohibits nuisance or non-emergency calls.［3］ If one event involves several hazards, report the most immediate life threat and tell the dispatcher about the others.

12345, 12367, tourism hotlines, consular lines, and local multilingual services can be useful in their proper roles, but they are not a replacement for the four emergency numbers above and must not be presented as one nationwide emergency system.

What should you do before calling?

Do not remain in a traffic lane to take photographs, re-enter a smoky room for belongings, touch exposed electrical equipment, or confront a violent person. Move to a safer nearby position when movement is possible without creating a greater risk. Warn others and use marked emergency equipment only when you understand it and can do so safely.

Look for a street sign, building entrance, shop name, station exit, platform, kilometer marker, or map pin. A full location is more useful than “near my hotel.” If you do not know the address, ask a nearby staff member to write it in Chinese or speak to the dispatcher.

How do you make the call step by step?

1. Decide whether the principal need is police, fire, medical rescue, or traffic police.
2. Move away from the immediate hazard if it is safe to do so.
3. Dial the correct number; do not add a country or city code when calling locally.
4. Say the city and precise location first.
5. State what happened in one sentence.
6. Give the number of injured, ill, trapped, or endangered people.
7. Describe continuing dangers such as smoke, fuel, weapons, fast traffic, or rising water.
8. Give your callback number and say which languages you can use.
9. Answer the dispatcher's questions and do not end the call until instructed.
10. Keep the phone available, watch for responders, and send a trusted person to guide them when safe.

Do not guess a diagnosis, blame, or legal conclusion. Describe observable facts: “one person is unconscious and breathing,” “smoke is coming from the third floor,” or “two cars block the eastbound lane.” For medical events, follow dispatcher instructions rather than improvising treatment from an online article.

What information should you prepare?

Use a short sequence that can survive stress or a language barrier:

• Where: city, district, road, number, building, entrance, floor, room, landmark, and map pin.
• What: fire, collision, assault, sudden illness, fall, missing person, or another event.
• How many: people injured, trapped, missing, or at risk.
• Current danger: traffic, smoke, gas, electricity, water, weapon, or unstable structure.
• Contact: your phone number and language.

Save your hotel name and address in Chinese before leaving each day. The phone preparation guide and mainland internet checklist can help with offline copies, but emergency calling must not wait for a data connection. Reaching overseas apps in mainland China is a separate trip-planning question covered in the China VPN guide; it never comes before an emergency call.

What if you cannot communicate or the emergency call does not connect?

Try the call again from a safe position and confirm the phone has a mobile signal. Then seek a real person at the scene: hotel reception, station staff, airport staff, venue management, security, a police officer, a hospital reception desk, or a nearby staffed business. Show the number and location rather than handing an unlocked phone with unrelated personal data to a stranger.

If another person calls, stay nearby to provide facts. Ask them to identify the service and repeat the location back to you. Do not rely on an unverified social-media account or someone demanding payment before contacting public emergency services.

Your embassy or consulate may help with communication, documents, relatives, or lists of local resources after the immediate call. Travel insurance may coordinate payment or follow-up care. Neither replaces police, fire, ambulance, or traffic response.

Troubleshooting decision tree

Problem	Immediate fallback	Do not do
You do not know the address	Use landmark, entrance, map pin, and nearby staff	Give only a hotel brand or vague district
Language barrier	Ask trusted staff to interpret or write the address	Delay a life-safety call while searching for an app
Phone has no signal	Move safely, use another phone, find staffed premises	Enter a dangerous area for better reception
Several services may be needed	Call for the principal threat and report all hazards	Place nuisance test calls to every number
Caller becomes separated	Give callback number and meeting point	Block the line with repeated nonessential calls

Summary

• Use 110, 119, 120, or 122 according to the emergency.
• Put immediate safety and a precise location before explanations.
• Report the event, number of people, continuing hazards, callback number, and language.
• Keep the line open and follow official instructions.
• Use trusted on-site staff for language or phone access, then contact consular and insurance support as needed.

FAQ

What is the police emergency number in China?

Call 110 for police help involving personal assault, property crime, or another immediate police emergency.［1］ Dial the three digits without a country or city code, report the exact place first, and describe clearly what happened.［3］

What number should I call for a fire?

Call 119, report the exact location and fire situation, and state whether anyone is trapped.［3］

What is the ambulance or medical emergency number?

Call 120 for emergency medical rescue and clearly describe the location, symptoms or injury, and number of patients.［2］

When is 122 appropriate?

Use 122 for a road traffic accident. Report the road, direction, nearby landmark, vehicles, injuries, and any continuing traffic danger.［3］

Can I call an emergency number to test my phone?

No. Official guidance prohibits nuisance or non-emergency calls. Never make a test call.［3］

Is 12345 the national emergency number for foreigners?

No. It is not a substitute for 110, 119, 120, or 122, and service scope and language support can vary locally.

What if I speak no Chinese?

State or show the address, use simple facts, and ask trusted hotel, station, venue, security, police, or other staffed personnel to interpret.

Should I call my embassy before local emergency services?

Not when there is an immediate threat to life or safety. Call the appropriate local emergency service first, then contact the embassy, consulate, insurer, or family for follow-up support.

Disclaimer: This guide provides general emergency-preparation information. It does not replace dispatcher instructions, local authority guidance, professional medical care, police advice, fire-safety direction, consular advice, or an insurer's assistance procedures.

Sources

1. State Council, Guide to Working and Living in China — https://english.www.gov.cn/2025special/bizexpatsinchina2025
2. National Immigration Administration, Welcome to China emergency contacts — https://www.nia.gov.cn/2022en/files/basic-html/page47.html
3. Beijing Municipal Government, Emergency Numbers — https://english.beijing.gov.cn/travellinginbeijing/quickguideontravelservices/traveltips/202108/t20210811_2466839.html

Sources checked 4 October 2026.

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