“Thank you to the Chinese police for your contribution to Croatia's tourism safety.” On July 22, at the reception celebrating the 99th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Croatia, Croatian representative General Gordana Garašić held the “Police Bear” presented by the Chinese police delegation, smiling warmly as she expressed her gratitude to the Chinese police officers participating in the joint patrol.
On July 15, the seventh China-Croatia Joint Police Patrol was officially launched. Eight Chinese police officers from Hunan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, and Beijing were paired with their Croatian counterparts to conduct joint patrols in Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Zadar, and Dubrovnik.
This year, 108 police officers from 20 countries were invited to Croatia for joint patrols, with China being one of the countries sending the largest number of officers. The month-long joint patrol represents an overseas extension of public service and an important bridge for police exchanges between China and other countries, earning widespread acclaim from all sectors of Croatian society for the Chinese police.
July 19 — Chinese and Croatian police officers help Chinese tourists resolve issues concerning scenic‑spot tickets. Photo by Huang Binyang.
Warmth in Foreign Streets — Caring for Every Journey Abroad
“Hello, how can we help you?” On July 19, Chinese police officers Huang Binyang and Mao Yumeng noticed several Chinese tourists hesitating at the ticket office of Plitvice Lakes National Park and approached them.
“I didn't expect to see our Chinese police here,” said Ms. Yang, a tourist struggling with her phone. “I've run out of roaming data and can't download my e-ticket.” Mao Yumeng immediately turned on her mobile hotspot and helped Ms. Yang purchase a roaming data package and download the ticket.
Ms. Yang could not read the Croatian text on the ticket and wanted to know if it could be transferred to a travel companion. Mao Yumeng asked a Croatian officer to translate and confirmed that the ticket could be transferred. Relieved, Ms. Yang said, “Meeting Chinese police in Croatia makes me feel safer.”
Spotting familiar blue uniforms on foreign streets brought surprise and warmth to many Chinese tourists. The officers proactively helped them solve problems, providing emergency assistance and convenience services. Tourists eagerly took photos with the officers, asked about their work and daily life, and shared their heartwarming encounters on social media. These acts of mutual care not only reassured Chinese travelers abroad but also filled the Chinese officers with pride.
In Zagreb, a brother and sister from Shenzhen, Guangdong, got separated near a church-complex scenic site. The younger brother Xiao Shao’s phone ran out of power, leaving him extremely anxious. When he spotted the Chinese police officers, his eyes lit up. Chinese police officers Zhao Xuan and Chen Yue lent him a power bank, enabling him to successfully get in touch with his sister.
In Dubrovnik, Yu Xiaopeng and Pan Lenghui conducted foot patrols with Croatian officers at the old town, distributing anti-fraud brochures to Chinese tourists and raising awareness about theft prevention and travel safety.
During the joint patrol, Chinese officers also assisted many foreign tourists, patiently handling various issues and earning praise from visitors of multiple nationalities.
When Huang Binyang and Mao Yumeng found a foreign boy with scraped elbows and knees, they immediately cleaned his wounds with iodine swabs and gave him a commemorative Chinese police armband. The boy stopped crying and broke into a smile.
“The Chinese police are warm and friendly!” the boy's mother said gratefully.
In Zadar, Chinese officers Wang Hu and Zou Rundi explained travel routes to South Korean tourists, assisted Brazilian and Italian tourists who had lost their wallets with filing reports and translation, answered German tourists’ questions about parking regulations and fees, and provided travel consultation to visitors from North Macedonia and Slovenia.
“The Chinese police are kind and professional. Thank you so much!” an Italian tourist said with a thumb-up.
According to statistics, during their mission in Croatia, the Chinese police team actively conducted emergency medical assistance, order maintenance, and anti-fraud awareness campaigns, handling cases of on-site reporting, property theft, and lost persons, providing assistance to over 260 individuals.
Connecting Across Thousands of Miles — Bringing the Motherland's Care Close to Home
“The Chinese police are here! The Chinese police are here!” On August 6, at the Kunlun Market in Zagreb, five-year-old Ran Ran, son of Chinese merchants, ran excitedly through the market shouting in his childish voice.
Ran Ran's parents are Chinese merchants at Kunlun Market. When Zhao Xuan and Chen Yue visited the market, many Chinese merchants were moved to tears. Earlier, when the two officers visited the Great Wall Commercial Center, they received a similarly warm welcome, with merchants exclaiming, “It feels like coming home!”
“Goods are displayed densely. Please pay attention to fire safety,” the officers reminded, carefully inspecting fire-fighting equipment, inquiring about public security conditions, and informing the merchants that they could contact the Chinese police team anytime if they needed to liaise with Croatian officers.
When Wang Hu and Zou Rundi visited the home of Ms. Zeng, a Chinese national living in Zadar County, her family warmly welcomed them at the door.
“You traveled thousands of miles to come here, bringing us a strong sense of security and the reassuring feeling of being cared for by our homeland,” Ms. Zeng said emotionally.
In recent years, China-Croatia economic and trade exchanges have grown increasingly close, with Chinese enterprises flourishing in Croatia. To effectively protect the overseas interests of Chinese enterprises, the Chinese police team, together with Croatian police, visited branches of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), Xiaomi Communications, BYD, Norinco International, and other Chinese companies in Croatia, holding seminars to listen to their concerns and address difficulties.
When a cable theft occurred at a company's construction site, Chinese and Croatian officers jointly conducted an on-site investigation and recommended that Croatian police raise the priority level for incidents and cases involving Chinese enterprises and citizens. Companies reported that the processing time for work permits and residence permits for Croatia was too long and requested that Croatian immigration authorities issue Chinese-language application guides and required document lists, and provide expedited services for urgent cases. The Chinese police team meticulously documented and relayed these requests. Some companies had not yet established communication channels with Croatian police; the Chinese police team suggested police-enterprise team-building activities, safety drills, and observation and guidance sessions, which were endorsed by the Croatian police.
“Thank you for your help in establishing a police-enterprise liaison mechanism. We feel much safer!” said Mr. Liu, a representative of Norinco International in Croatia.
In addition, the Chinese police team, together with Croatian police, visited Confucius Institutes, Chinese business associations, and Chinese student representatives to understand their work, life, and study situations and safety concerns, smooth communication channels, and promote the establishment of long-term liaison mechanisms.
Police as Bridges — Sowing Seeds of Friendship and Collaboration
Steaming hot dumplings carried the cultural integration embodied in food; exquisite Luban locks conveyed hopes for peace and cooperation. During the joint patrol, the Chinese police team used diverse forms to promote mutual trust, mutual learning, and mutual assistance between Chinese and foreign police forces.
In Zagreb, Zhao Xuan and Chen Yue invited Croatian officers and their families to make dumplings, spring rolls, and enjoy hotpot together. They taught their foreign colleagues how to use chopsticks and shared stories of Chinese culinary culture. They also taught them calligraphy, with everyone writing characters such as “China(中国)”, “Croatia(克罗地亚)”, and “friendship(友谊)” stroke by stroke.
“I really like the Chinese police team. May we further strengthen our bond of friendship,” said Mislav, Chief Liaison Officer of the joint patrol.
Huang Binyang and Mao Yumeng took advantage of a joint publicity event with officers from Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia to present Luban locks to their foreign counterparts. “The Luban lock is like peace—easy to break apart but difficult to reassemble; easy to destroy but hard to rebuild. Rash actions may cause irreversible damage,” Mao Yumeng said. “We hope this conveys the powerful strength of law enforcement agencies from different countries seeking common ground while respecting differences and working together.”
The professional competence and positive demeanor demonstrated by the Chinese police team during the joint patrol earned recognition from their foreign counterparts and effectively promoted China’s police exchanges with other countries.
During the joint patrol, Chinese officers distributed over 500 trilingual (Chinese, English, Croatian) anti-fraud brochures, attracting attention from officers of other participating countries. Yu Xiaopeng and Pan Lenghui conducted anti-fraud awareness campaigns during patrols, receiving high praise from Australian Detective Richard, who said he would recommend the practices to his own police force. British officers expressed interest in taking some brochures back to their country to promote Chinese anti-fraud experience.
Wang Hu and Zou Rundi engaged in lively discussions with officers from Germany, Hungary, Poland, Austria, and other countries on legal systems, law enforcement tactics, and policing philosophies, as well as in-depth exchanges on traditional Chinese culture and kung fu. Foreign officers showed great interest: “We hope to further strengthen exchanges and learn from each other.”
At the Zagreb First Fire Station, the largest fire station in Croatia, Zhao Xuan and Chen Yue exchanged insights with Croatian firefighters on fire protection work and urban safety management, presenting police souvenirs in a warm atmosphere. At the Zagreb Police Command Center, the team participated in observation visits arranged by Croatian counterparts, engaging in deep mutual learning with fruitful outcomes.
“As Chief Liaison Officer, this is my fifth time participating in the joint patrol program. The joint patrol not only promotes police cooperation but also enhances friendship and exchanges between the peoples of our two countries,” Mislav said. “I very much look forward to visiting China to explore deeper law enforcement cooperation.”