From Olympic Security English, published by the Chinese People’s Public Security University Press. The book is the basis of a three-month English course designed to help Beijing police officers prepare for the 2008 summer Olympics.

how to stop illegal news coverage

police: Excuse me, sir. Stop, please.
foreigner: Why?
police: Are you gathering news here?
foreigner: Yes.
police: About what?
foreigner: About Falun Gong.
police: Show me your press card and reporter’s permit.
foreigner: Here you are.
police: What news are you permitted to cover?
foreigner: The Olympic games.
police: But Falun Gong has nothing to do with the games.
foreigner: What does that matter?
police: It’s beyond the permit.
foreigner: What permit?
police: You’re a sports reporter. You should only cover the games.
foreigner: But I’m interested in Falun Gong.
police: It’s beyond the limit of your coverage, and illegal. As a foreign reporter in China, you should obey China law and do nothing against your status.
foreigner: Oh, I see. May I go now?
police: No. Come with us (to the Administration Division of Entry and Exit of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau).
foreigner: What for?
police: To clear up this matter.

highway robbery

police: What were the conditions of your release from prison?
foreigner: I escaped from the prison.
police: Where did you go?
foreigner: I went to Afghanistan first.
police: How and when did you come to Beijing?
foreigner: I sneaked into Xinjiang from Afghanistan, and came here to Beijing this summer.
police: What have you been doing in Beijing?
foreigner: I sold mutton cubes with a Xinjiang native, but our utensils were confiscated.
police: What did you do afterward?
foreigner: Nothing.
police: So you fled here and there to commit crimes.
foreigner: That’s the only way to stay alive.
police: You should have known that this would end with you in serious trouble.
foreigner: I knew I would come to no good one day.
the suspect of burglary
police: Excuse me, are you Gul Aghar?
foreigner: Yes.
police: What’s your nationality?
foreigner: Afghan.
police: What’s your status of entry?
foreigner: Reporter.
police: The purpose of your entry?
foreigner: To report the live Olympic games.
police: Why did you commit this offense?
foreigner: I got confused temporarily.
police: Please don’t try to fool us. You are a professional burglar, judging from the way you operate. We want the truth.
foreigner: I have nothing to tell. Haven’t you got evidence?
police: Of course. We have very conclusive evidence.
foreigner: Then show me your evidence.
police: There are cameras fixed in the passageway of the flat. Your actions were recorded. Have a look at your full performance, your clear expressions, clothes, and your acts. Don’t you admit those?
foreigner: That’s beyond my imagination.
police: Do you confess now?
foreigner: Yes, I do.
police: Do you have a criminal record?
foreigner: No. This is the first time.
police: Stop lying. You are a habitual criminal, judging from the tools and method of operation.
foreigner: I didn’t expect so strict precautions here.
police: I tell you, the burglary alarm in the security-guard room rang when you tried to open the door. You had no chance to succeed.
foreigner: I see. I was stupid.
police: Why did you choose this room?
foreigner: To be frank, I didn’t intend to steal anything.
police: Then what did you intend to do?
foreigner: I learned that an American lived in this room, so I wanted to take revenge on him.
police: Why?
foreigner: Because my family was killed when the U.S. bombed Afghanistan. I became homeless and I hate Americans.
police: We feel sympathy for your misfortune. But your behavior to deliberately hurt an innocent American is against our law, and you disrupted our social order, especially during
the Olympic games. You caused a disturbance and damaged the reputation of our country, so you should shoulder the criminal responsibilities.
foreigner: I didn’t consider that much. And I didn’t intend to make trouble for China.
police: You must tell all that you did. Don’t make any trouble for yourself.
foreigner: Yes, ma’am.
police: We will stop here today. Go back and think it over.

handling unexpected incidents

[Chinese policemen save a woman’s life during an earthquake when they free her from her bathroom tomb.]
police: You maybe have fractured legs. We’ll send you to the hospital right now.
foreigner: Thank you for saving my life.
police: That’s my job.
foreigner: I can never forget those Chinese policemen who saved my life.
police: Calm down, and don’t talk so much.
foreigner: What happened?
police: It was an earthquake, 7 degrees on the Richter scale, and Tangshan was the epicenter.
foreigner: Did you see my child?
police: Don’t worry. Your child has been sent to the hospital with a little bruise.
foreigner: Thank goodness. Thank you all, Chinese police.
police: You are welcome. May you recover soon.

pattern drills

Would you be able to come to our office?

Excuse me, would you come to our office?

Sorry to trouble you, could you come to our office?

Do me a favor and come to our office, will you?

Would you mind coming to our office?

I’m afraid we’ll have to . . .

detain you temporarily.
take you to the police station for questioning.
confiscate the contraband.
impound the fake identification.

Don’t . . .

pretend to be innocent.
try to fool us.
play any tricks.

It’s . . .

illegal.
against the law.
against China law.
banned.
prohibited.
not allowed.
not permitted.

Please don’t . . .

cross the street here.
be too familiar with the girl.
be so rude to that lady.
take too many liberties with the waitress.
take pictures.
take photographs.
do that.