Operating in China? Speak with a security consultant.
China presents a security profile unlike any other country in the P1 network. Physical crime in Beijing and Shanghai is genuinely low by international comparison. The elevated risk assessment reflects legal and operational factors that are distinct from the street crime and terrorism calculus that applies elsewhere.
The National Security Law (NSL), enforced with a 99% conviction rate in the Chinese judicial system, creates a legal environment where the definition of a prosecutable offence is broad and the procedural protections familiar to Western executives do not apply in the same form. This is not theoretical risk. FCDO, the US State Department, and multiple EU governments have issued explicit advisories for their nationals.
Exit bans: The primary executive risk
Exit bans are the primary personal security concern for senior executives operating in China. An exit ban requires no court order in the Western sense and can be issued by administrative authority in the context of investigations, civil disputes, or national security matters. Cases involving executives from US, UK, German, and Japanese companies have been documented and publicly reported.
Pre-travel legal review of any existing or potential litigation exposure in China is part of our deployment planning for China visits at C-suite level.
Operating requirements for foreign security teams
Security guard certificates in China are issued only to Chinese citizens. Our China deployments work through a Chinese-licensed partner entity. Physical security is delivered by certified Chinese operators. Our role covers planning, briefing, standards oversight, and continuity with the client’s international security programme.
Any operator claiming to provide direct foreign security services in China should be asked how its personnel hold Chinese security guard certificates.
Device and information security
Corporate espionage and device compromise are active concerns for executives carrying commercially sensitive information into China. State surveillance infrastructure is extensive. Device security during China visits, including the management of personal and corporate phones, laptops, and cloud access, is a distinct but related risk that sits alongside physical CP. A complete China deployment plan addresses both.
Source: FCDO Travel Advice: China (2024). US State Department China Country Report 2024. National Security Law (2020). PRC Regulation on the Administration of Security Services (2009).
Our vetted operators provide close protection and executive protection across China. For detailed local assessments, see our Beijing city briefing and Shanghai city briefing.
Cities We Cover
Beijing
Medium riskChina's political capital. Physical crime is low. Primary risks are legal and operational: exit bans, National Security Law detentions, state surveillance of foreign nationals, and device compromise. Pre-travel legal briefing is not optional.
View city guide →Shanghai
Medium riskChina's commercial and financial capital. Among the safest major cities by street crime metrics. NSL detention risk and exit ban exposure apply equally to Beijing. Corporate espionage and device compromise are active documented concerns.
View city guide →Security Regulations
Firearms
Under the Regulation on the Administration of Security Services, guns may be used only by security guards on armed guarding and escort duties, under the regulations on the use of firearms by full-time guards and escorts (article 29). A company offering armed guarding and escort must be wholly state-owned or at least 51% state-owned and have registered capital of at least CNY 10 million (article 10). The Regulation gives no route for armed close protection.
Licensing
Security service companies are licensed under the Regulation on the Administration of Security Services, State Council Decree No. 564 of 13 October 2009 (in force 1 January 2010, amended 2020 and 2022). An application goes to the city public security bureau, and the provincial-level public security authority decides and issues the security service licence (article 9). The Ministry of Public Security supervises nationally and local public security organs within their areas (article 3). Individual guards need a security guard certificate, issued after an examination by the city public security bureau (article 16).
Foreign Operators
Article 16 limits the security guard certificate to Chinese citizens, so a foreign company cannot deploy its own staff as certified guards. Under article 22, as amended in 2020, key public-security units designated by city governments may not hire foreign-invested security companies. The Regulation sets out no other route for foreign operators. International clients normally engage a licensed Chinese company. Take local legal advice before a foreign team carries out protective duties.
Sources, checked : Regulation on the Administration of Security Services, State Council Decree No. 564 (gov.cn); State Council Decree No. 732 (2020), amending article 22; State Council Decree No. 752 (2022), amending the training provisions.