If you are robbed, kidnapped, arrested or caught in a serious dispute in Africa, first get yourself safe and report it to the local police. Then contact the Chinese embassy or consulate, or call the MFA’s 24-hour Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services, 12308 (from abroad: +86-10-12308 or +86-10-65612308) [3]. The embassy can verify what happened, press the local authorities to handle it lawfully, visit Chinese citizens in detention and give you lists of lawyers and interpreters. It cannot report a crime for you, step into business or labour disputes, or pay your personal costs [2].
Legal basis
The Regulations on Consular Protection and Assistance (State Council Decree No. 763) took effect on 1 September 2023 [1]. The same month, the MFA Consular Protection Center published a new edition of the Guide to China’s Consular Protection and Assistance, which explains what embassies do and the limits of their help [2]. Under the regulations, Chinese missions abroad must provide consular protection and assistance when a Chinese citizen’s lawful rights are infringed, when they are detained on suspicion of a crime, go missing, are injured or killed, or face threats to life and property in a major emergency [4].
What the embassy can and cannot do
| Can do | Cannot do |
|---|---|
| Verify the facts with local authorities, press them to deal with the case fairly and lawfully, and tell you how to pursue your rights [2] | Intervene in arbitration, labour, commercial, economic, contract or family disputes [2] |
| Visit you if you are detained, arrested or serving a sentence, at your request or with your consent, and ask for humane and fair treatment [1][2] | Investigate cases, search for missing people directly, or file a police report on your behalf [2] |
| Attend court hearings in your case where necessary [1] | Interfere with local courts or law enforcement, or get you better treatment than local people [2] |
| Press for medical treatment if you are injured, and notify your family in China if you cannot [2] | Obtain visas, residence or work permits for you, or stop deportation or expulsion [2] |
| Give you lists of local lawyers, interpreters and medical facilities [2] | Pay for hotels, lawyers, interpreters, medical care or transport, or act as guarantor [2] |
| Issue travel documents if your passport is lost; help you contact family or get relief if theft leaves you without means [2] | Guarantee your safety in a third country, or handle disputes with airlines, hotels and other providers [2] |
Help may be limited or unavailable if you do not give truthful information, take part in illegal activity, or ignore MFA and embassy advice by going to or staying in high-risk areas [2]. If a third party provides food, lodging, transport or medical care during assistance, you pay for it yourself [1].
The 12308 hotline and embassy numbers
The 12308 hotline takes calls around the clock. Dial +86-10-12308 or +86-10-65612308, or use the internet call function in the China Consular app or the 领事直通车 WeChat account [3]. The embassy in South Africa notes that calls to its consular protection line outside office hours are transferred to 12308, but the transfer can fail, so it recommends dialling 0086-10-12308 or 0086-10-65612308 directly [5].
Also save the local police number and your mission’s consular protection number. These numbers are from embassy websites:
| Country | Local police | Chinese mission consular protection numbers |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa (September 2026) | 10111 | Embassy 0027-10-4925583; Consulate-General Johannesburg 0027-10-4986234; Cape Town 0027-21-6747668; Durban 0027-761742938 [6] |
| Nigeria (September 2025) | 911 | Embassy +234-(0)7040702408; Consulate-General Lagos +234-(0)9162791792 [7] |
Numbers for other countries are on the country safety pages, for example Kenya safety and Tanzania safety.
Registering in the China Consular app
The regulations allow Chinese citizens abroad to register their basic details on information platforms run by the MFA or the embassies [1]. The Guide recommends registering voluntarily through the overseas Chinese citizen registration function of the China Consular app and keeping it up to date. Registered people get embassy alerts, emergency contact and rescue help faster, and can record their departure when they leave [2]. The embassy in Nigeria points out that registration only asks you to choose the mission for your area and fill in personal details. It never asks for bank account details or money transfers [8].
What to do in specific situations
Robbery and break-ins
Your life comes first. Stay calm and do not argue or fight. Once you are safe, gather evidence, report to the police and get a case number. If you believe law enforcement has overstepped or violated your basic rights, you can bring an administrative lawsuit and give the case number and evidence to the embassy [7]. Day to day, avoid carrying large amounts of cash, do not discuss payments or family assets in public, and vary your routes and delivery times [6].
Kidnapping
The embassy in South Africa advised in September 2026: if kidnapped, put your safety first, do not confront the kidnappers, do not reveal your assets and do not promise a ransom; report or escape when you safely can. Family members should report to the police at once, follow the police negotiators’ advice, avoid promising large ransoms, give the police all details and contact the embassy [6].
Arrest or detention
Cooperate with officers, avoid any physical confrontation and never try to bribe them. If you are detained, you usually have the right to remain silent, to ask for a lawyer and to ask that the Chinese embassy be contacted or informed. Read any statement carefully before signing [2]. The embassy can visit you in line with local law and find out what you need [1].
Labour and business disputes
The embassy does not intervene in labour, commercial or contract disputes [2]. Negotiate first; if that fails, use local legal procedures and a local lawyer, and ask the embassy for its list of lawyers [2]. The embassy in South Africa also reminds businesses that operating legally, employing workers legally and handling labour relations properly helps avoid cases that start from illegal employment [6].
Police–community cooperation
The South Africa Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Centre was set up in January 2004 with the backing of the Chinese embassy in South Africa and the consulate-general in Johannesburg. It is a national Chinese community organisation that links the community with the South African police and helps them fight crime against Chinese people [9]. In June 2026 the embassy reminded Chinese residents that in an emergency they should, once safe, report to the local police and ask the embassy, consulates and the police cooperation centre for help [10]. In Nigeria, the embassy and the Nigeria Police headquarters held a joint safety lecture for Chinese companies, chambers of commerce and residents in November 2021 [11]. Many countries also have consular assistance volunteers who know the local language and conditions and can help nearby [2].
To get your documents in order, see Renewing or replacing a passport abroad; for more checklists, see Africa Essentials.
References
- Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Consular Protection and Assistance (State Council Decree No. 763) (State Council; reproduced by the China Consular Service Network, 2023)
- Guide to China’s Consular Protection and Assistance (September 2023) (MFA Consular Protection Center, 2023)
- 12308 consular protection hotline (China Consular Service Network, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2026)
- Introduction to consular protection and assistance (China Consular Service Network, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2026)
- Chinese Embassy in South Africa: passport notice (with consular protection hotline) (Chinese Embassy in South Africa, 2026)
- Chinese Embassy in South Africa: warning on kidnappings of Chinese nationals (Chinese Embassy in South Africa, 6 September 2026)
- Chinese Embassy in Nigeria: safety reminder for Chinese citizens (Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Consulate-General in Lagos, 12 September 2025)
- Chinese Embassy in Nigeria: register in the overseas citizen registration module (Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, April 2026)
- Country (Region) Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: South Africa (2025 edition) (Ministry of Commerce of China, 2025)
- Chinese Embassy reminds Chinese citizens and companies in South Africa to guard against security risks (The Paper, 10 June 2026)
- Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Nigeria Police headquarters hold safety lecture for Chinese citizens (Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, November 2021)