Anyone who works around law enforcement uniforms and equipment eventually becomes interested in how police officers are outfitted in other parts of the world. During my travels in China, I had the unusual opportunity to see Chinese police uniforms up close and spend some time with local police officers.
Although police uniforms differ considerably from country to country, there are also some interesting similarities. China's modern police uniforms, in particular, have adopted a professional dark-blue appearance that will look somewhat familiar to American law enforcement officers.
Visiting a Police Station in China
During one of my trips to Shaanxi Province, I had an opportunity to visit a local police station and meet several officers.
The officers were welcoming and were happy to pose for photographs with me. For someone who has spent years working in the public-safety uniform and equipment industry, it was particularly interesting to see their uniforms firsthand rather than simply looking at photographs online.
During a visit to a local police station in Shaanxi Province, China.
One of the first things an American visitor may notice is that modern Chinese police uniforms look considerably different from the military-influenced styles worn during earlier periods of the People's Republic of China.
Today's uniforms use dark navy blue prominently, giving them an appearance that is much more readily identifiable internationally as a police uniform.
The Modern Chinese Police Uniform
China's People's Police have gone through numerous major uniform changes since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
For more than two decades, the most familiar modern uniform was the 99-style (Type 99) police uniform, which introduced a dark navy color scheme along with standardized insignia, rank markings, police numbers and other identifying elements.
In late 2025, China began introducing a new 2025-style People's Police uniform. The newer uniform builds upon the general appearance of the 99-style uniform rather than completely replacing its visual identity.
The 2025-style system retains the basic colors, styling and insignia associated with the previous uniform while making changes intended to improve comfort, mobility and performance. Updates include revised fits, new fabrics and additional garment options designed for different climates, police assignments and working conditions.
Because the transition is taking place gradually, older and newer uniform components may be seen alongside one another while the 2025-style system is phased in.
Uniform Colors and Appearance
One of the most noticeable characteristics of Chinese police uniforms is the use of dark navy blue.
This represented a significant departure from some earlier Chinese police uniforms, which used colors such as olive green. The transition to navy created an appearance more similar to police uniforms seen in many other countries.
Depending upon the uniform and assignment, officers may wear combinations that include:
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Dark navy uniform trousers
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Dark navy duty or uniform jackets
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Blue uniform shirts
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Peaked service caps or other police headwear
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Shoulder-mounted rank insignia
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Police badges and identifying insignia
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Police identification numbers
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Duty belts and equipment appropriate to the officer's assignment
As with American law enforcement, the uniform worn can vary according to season, assignment and circumstances.
Chinese police officer wearing a duty uniform during my visit.
Chinese Police Insignia and Rank
Rank is displayed prominently as part of the Chinese police uniform.
Shoulder insignia help identify an officer's rank, while additional uniform elements can identify the officer and organization. Police insignia have also evolved considerably over the decades as China's police uniforms have changed.
One interesting feature for an American observer is the overall formality and consistency of the uniform. Even though the details are distinctly Chinese, the basic principles behind the uniform are familiar: officers should be readily identifiable as law enforcement personnel, rank should be recognizable, and uniforms should present a consistent professional appearance.
Police Uniforms as Part of a Country's Identity
Police uniforms can tell us quite a bit about the history and culture of a country.
American police uniforms themselves reflect more than a century of changing traditions, technology and ideas about what a law enforcement officer should look like. China's uniforms have undergone their own evolution.
Over the decades, Chinese police uniforms have appeared in colors including yellow, white, green and blue, with significant redesigns occurring at various points in the country's modern history.
The adoption of the 99-style uniform around the beginning of the 21st century represented one of the most recognizable changes. The introduction of the 2025-style uniform represents the latest stage of that evolution, with a greater emphasis on practical considerations such as mobility, durability, breathability, warmth and suitability for different working environments.
Meeting Police Officers During My Travels
My encounters with police officers in China were memorable largely because they provided a perspective that tourists don't ordinarily get.
On another occasion during my travels, I encountered local officers who were happy to stop for a photograph.
Another encounter with local police officers during my travels in China.
Despite the obvious differences in language, culture and policing systems, there was something very familiar about seeing uniformed professionals doing their everyday jobs.
For me, that made examining the uniforms themselves much more interesting. A police uniform isn't simply a shirt, pair of trousers and badge. It is designed to immediately communicate authority, identity, rank and membership in a particular organization.
That is true whether the officer happens to be working in New York, Pennsylvania, Beijing or a smaller community in China's interior.
Chinese Police Uniforms Today
Visitors to China today may encounter both established 99-style uniform components and the newer 2025-style system as the transition continues.
The latest uniform changes are evolutionary rather than a dramatic visual break with the previous generation. Dark navy remains central to the appearance of the People's Police, while newer garments emphasize improved materials, fit and functionality.
For anyone interested in law enforcement uniforms, the evolution of Chinese police apparel provides an interesting example of how a country's police identity can change over time while retaining recognizable elements from the uniforms that preceded it.
My opportunity to see these uniforms firsthand—and to meet some of the officers who wore them—made this an especially interesting part of my travels in China.
Editor's note: This article is based in part on the author's personal observations and photographs from travels in China. It was originally published in 2019 and has been updated to reflect subsequent changes to Chinese police uniforms.