Cooperate when stopped or taken away by police — don’t push, hit, or grab their body cameras; especially if you’ve been drinking, stay calm

Simply refusing to comply with police orders can result in a warning or a fine of up to 500 yuan; more serious cases may lead to detention for 5 to 10 days. Using physical force against officers falls into a separate category: biting, slapping, kicking, tackling, or throwing objects that cause even minor injuries is classified as violent assault on police, punishable by up to 3 years in prison. If weapons, controlled knives, or a vehicle are used, the sentence rises to 3 to 7 years. Simple acts like pulling away or resisting lightly do not count as violence.

Cost

No cost at all. Simply refrain from any actions on the spot. If you have complaints, you can raise them later — file a complaint, apply for administrative reconsideration, or even sue in court. The hard part is keeping your temper in check during those few minutes of being stopped, particularly when you’re under the influence of alcohol.

Benefit

Refusing to comply with lawful police orders carries a warning or a fine of up to 500 yuan; repeat or more serious offenses can bring detention for 5 to 10 days plus an additional fine of up to 1,000 yuan. When the officers involved are regular police, penalties become stricter. Committing violent acts against officers performing their duties is punishable by up to 3 years in prison; using weapons, knives, or a vehicle to endanger their safety can lead to 3 to 7 years behind bars. Only actions that result in actual physical harm — such as biting, slapping, kicking, tackling, or throwing objects — qualify as “violent assault.” Merely trying to pull away or resisting lightly does not meet this threshold (applies nationwide).

Notes

According to a 2021 report by China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate, in the first month after laws specifically criminalizing assaults on police took effect, 405 arrests were approved. In Jiangsu Province, 47.6% of 42 reported cases involved individuals acting out while intoxicated. In Hubei Province, 12 out of 16 cases involved only minor physical contact such as punching, slapping, or biting. Attacking auxiliary police officers is also treated under the crime of obstructing official duties. No official case examples detailing individual circumstances were found for this specific provision.

Sources · 5

1. 全国人大常委会 (2025). 治安管理处罚法（2025 年修订，第六十一条）. spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202506/t20250627_699863.shtml
2. 全国人大常委会 (2020). 刑法修正案（十一）（第三十一条，即刑法第二百七十七条第五款）. spp.gov.cn/zdgz/202012/t20201227_503682.shtml
3. 全国人大 (2020). 刑法（根据刑法修正案（十一）修正，第二百七十七条）. jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925…
4. 最高人民法院、最高人民检察院 (2025). 关于办理袭警刑事案件适用法律若干问题的解释（高检发释字〔2025〕1 号，第一、八、十二条）. spp.gov.cn/xwfbh/wsfbt/202501/t20250116_67957…
5. 最高人民检察院 (2021). 袭警罪入刑一月 检察机关批捕 405 人. spp.gov.cn/xwfbh/wsfbh/202105/t20210517_51830…