National Police Day special: How China's police differ from US peers

January 10 marks China's first National Police Day when police officers are celebrated and remembered nationwide for maintaining public security.

People used to witnessing US police officers acting with violence, especially against African Americans, would be surprised to see how Chinese police officers have maintained their reputation so well.

Unlike US police officers whose actions have triggered Black Lives Matter protests worldwide and provoked reflection over weaponization and militarization of US police, their Chinese peers have built a positive image as a reliable, hardworking system ordinary people can turn to for help.

The following pictures may give you some clues about how police officers in these two countries act differently.

This infamous image, which widely circulated on social media, captures the one of the most high-profile violent incidents against African Americans in recent years, when a white police officer knelt George Floyd, an African American, to death in Minneapolis in May, 2020, and later sparked worldwide Black Lives Matter protests against US police brutality. From Michael Brown to Floyd, victims of police violence against African Americans have been embodiment of racial tension and social injustice in the US.