Choose the number from the event
Police
- Call it for
- Assault, theft, immediate threat, crime or police help
- Give first
- Chinese location, what happened, whether anyone is at risk, callback number
- Not for
- A medical-only event with no police need
Fire
- Call it for
- Fire, smoke, explosion, dangerous leak or people trapped by a fire event
- Give first
- Chinese address, floor or landmark, what is burning or leaking, people trapped
- Not for
- A routine building complaint
Medical rescue
- Call it for
- Collapse, serious injury, breathing difficulty or another urgent need for medical transport
- Give first
- Chinese location, main symptom or injury, number of patients, callback number
- Not for
- Insurance or hospital billing questions
Road-traffic accident
- Call it for
- A road crash requiring traffic police
- Give first
- Road or intersection, vehicles involved, whether traffic is blocked, injuries
- Not for
- A non-road crime or medical-only event
Road crash with an injury: 122 and 120 complete different jobs. Call 122 for the crash and 120 for urgent medical rescue.
What about 999? The same National Immigration Administration directory also lists 999 as “Red Cross Emergency Number.” It does not state 999's geographic scope or relationship with 120. Use 120 for urgent medical rescue; this page cannot tell you when or where 999 duplicates or replaces it.
12367 is not an emergency dispatcher
The National Immigration Administration describes 12367 as the nationwide service for immigration policy enquiries, opinions and related service requests, with Chinese and English human service 24 hours a day. Use it for an exit-entry or border-inspection question, including guidance after a passport loss. Do not use it instead of 110, 119, 120 or 122 during immediate danger.
Say these five things first
Do not begin with a long travel story. Give the event and location first.
| Line | English | Chinese card |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English, please. | 请讲英语。 |
| 2 | Emergency: [police / fire / medical / road crash]. | 紧急情况：[报警 / 火灾 / 急救 / 交通事故]。 |
| 3 | I am at: [Chinese address]. | 我在：[中文地址]。 |
| 4 | [Number] people are injured / trapped. | 有 [人数] 人受伤 / 被困。 |
| 5 | My callback number is: [number]. | 我的联系电话是：[号码]。 |
If there is immediate physical danger, move away from it first. The card supports the call; it does not tell you to remain in a fire, road or violence hazard to finish every line.
Fill this before departure
Save this block as a screenshot and carry one paper copy.
- Chinese address:
- Floor, gate, room or nearest landmark:
- Hotel or host phone:
- Local Chinese-speaking contact:
- Travel insurer emergency line:
- Embassy or consulate emergency line:
Privacy boundary: do not put a passport number, full card number, verification code or payment password on this public-facing card.
English and device access are not verified nationwide
A 2024 official Beijing Chaoyang visitor guide published interpretation on 12345, 110, 119 and 120 in eight languages, with English 24/7 and seven other languages eight hours each day. A March 2026 official report records more than 2,000 three-way interpretation sessions for 110, 120, 119 and 12345 during 2025; it does not publish current hours or promise real-time availability. Do not extend this municipal history to every Chinese city.
The official sources do not prove
- Every foreign SIM can place the call
- A data-only eSIM includes voice service
- A locked phone or phone without a physical SIM always connects
- What 911 or 112 will do on every Chinese network
- A response time or English-speaking dispatcher nationwide
Build the fallback instead
- Save the Chinese address, not only the English name
- Carry the paper call card
- Identify hotel, station, venue or security staff nearby
- Move to a local voice-capable phone if your device fails
- Never place a false emergency call to test the route
Six worked cases
Theft or assault
- Conditions
- A wallet is stolen and the traveller is safe enough to call.
- Result
- Call 110. Give the Chinese location, what happened, whether the person is still nearby and the callback number.
Smoke, fire or people trapped
- Conditions
- Smoke fills a hotel corridor and someone may be trapped.
- Result
- Call 119. Give the Chinese address, floor, what is burning and whether people are trapped. Move out of danger first.
Collapse or serious injury
- Conditions
- A traveller collapses and may need monitored transport.
- Result
- Call 120. Give the location, main symptom or injury, number of patients and callback number.
Road crash with an injury
- Conditions
- A taxi and bicycle collide and the cyclist is hurt.
- Result
- Call 122 for the road crash and 120 for urgent medical rescue. One number does not complete both jobs.
Passport lost, no immediate danger
- Conditions
- The passport is missing but nobody is in danger.
- Result
- Report the loss to the local police station, then use 12367 for immigration and exit-entry guidance. 12367 does not dispatch police.
The data eSIM cannot place the call
- Conditions
- The phone has internet data but no voice call connects.
- Result
- Stop retrying the same path. Show the offline card to nearby staff and move to a local voice-capable phone.
Failure recovery
The call does not connect
- Trigger
- 110, 119, 120 or 122 does not connect from the traveller's phone.
- First action
- Move to a local voice-capable phone.
- Alternative
- Show nearby staff the number and Chinese address.
- Escalation
- Ask that person to place the call and stay available for the dispatcher.
Language fails
- Trigger
- Caller and operator do not share a language.
- First action
- Say “English, please”, then give or show the Chinese address and emergency type.
- Alternative
- Hand the phone to a nearby Chinese speaker without sharing passport or payment details.
- Escalation
- Use hotel, station or venue staff as the local contact.
The phone is gone
- Trigger
- Phone lost, broken or out of battery.
- First action
- Use the paper copy of the offline card.
- Alternative
- Go to staffed security, hotel reception, station desk or a nearby business.
- Escalation
- Have staff call and give their local callback number.
It is an immigration problem
- Trigger
- The issue concerns immigration or exit-entry procedure without live police, fire or medical danger.
- First action
- Call 12367.
- Alternative
- Use the responsible local public-security exit-entry office.
- Escalation
- If immediate danger begins, switch to 110, 119, 120 or 122 according to the event.
Make the card usable
- Fill the six offline fields.
- Save a screenshot and print one small copy.
- Confirm whether the travel phone plan includes voice service.
- Keep the card for mainland China only; Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan use different systems.
- Do not place a false emergency call as a test.
Sources and verification boundary
Key guidance checked on . Recheck the linked authorities before relying on this page. Number assignments and the 12367 scope are official service descriptions. No field test has yet proved access from a foreign SIM, data-only eSIM, locked phone or phone without a physical SIM.
Welcome to China — emergency directoryNational Immigration Administration ↗Guide to Working and Living in China — emergency sectionState Council of China ↗12367 platform scope and serviceNational Immigration Administration ↗Eight-language emergency interpretation in BeijingBeijing Foreign Affairs Office ↗2024 official Beijing Chaoyang visitor guide — published interpretation scheduleBeijing Foreign Affairs Office ↗March 2026 report — 2025 municipal interpretation service volumeBeijing Foreign Affairs Office ↗Eight normal service languages and Winter Olympics expansionBeijing Municipal Public Security Bureau ↗