Xu Yichao, a Jing’an district officer born in 2003, stopped a woman carrying an adult passenger on an electric bicycle at around 10 p.m. on Nov. 5. Shanghai’s non-motor vehicle rules prohibit cyclists from carrying passengers older than 12, The Straits Times reported.
After learning that the tourists did not speak Chinese, Xu switched to English to explain the rules and offer safety advice. He issued a written warning because it was a first offense that caused minimal harm, in accordance with national and local regulations.
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People enjoy themself on the Bund near the financial district of Pudong during the sunset hour, in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 27, 2024. Photo by Reuters |
Footage of the encounter spread rapidly on Chinese social media, drawing praise for his language skills, professionalism and polite manner.
“I’ve never studied abroad. I was just interested in English from an early age, including foreign films and TV series,” Xu told China Daily. “I have a habit of imitating dialogue from TV shows to practice pronunciation and intonation.”
Xu completed compulsory English courses covering public security, criminal justice and traffic enforcement. After joining the Jing’an branch, he received additional training in handling cases involving foreigners.
Colleague Tang Qixin said speaking English on patrol had become routine.
“We encounter international visitors frequently on our patrols, and virtually everyone on the team can handle routine enforcement in English,” Tang said.
The language skills are increasingly useful as Shanghai attracts more overseas visitors. The city received 5.31 million international arrivals in the first half of 2026, up 27.82% from a year earlier, according to its culture and tourism bureau. South Korea, Russia, the U.S., Thailand and Malaysia were its five largest source markets.
Xu said the encounter was an ordinary part of his work, despite the attention it attracted. “We handle hundreds of violations a day, so this was simply routine.”