Chinese police officers talk with Chinese tourists during a Chinese-Croatian joint police patrol in Zagreb, Croatia, July 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

“This is a praiseworthy initiative, especially considering the large number of tourists from China visiting here. Given the language barriers and the situations they may find themselves in, this approach is both effective and praiseworthy,” a Zagreb resident said.

ZAGREB, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — Wang Bing, a Chinese tourist visiting Zagreb for the first time, was both surprised and delighted to see Chinese police officers patrolling alongside their Croatian counterparts on the streets of the Croatian capital. The joint patrol, he said, gave him a strong sense of security.

“Seeing our Chinese police officers on joint patrol here, I feel very at ease and very safe,” said Wang, from China’s Zhejiang Province. His wife, Yu Ying, echoed his feelings, saying she was “very happy” to see officers from her motherland in Zagreb.

For Cai Zichun, a tourist from Jiangsu Province, the sight of Chinese police patrolling alongside Croatian colleagues was unexpected.

“I didn’t expect that at all,” she said. “But seeing them here makes me feel very safe.”

The China-Croatia joint police patrol, the sixth of its kind this year, was launched in Zagreb on July 17. Eight Chinese police officers joined a month-long mission covering four of Croatia’s top tourist destinations: Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Chinese and Croatian police officers are pictured during a joint patrol in Zagreb, Croatia, July 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

Part of Croatia’s Safe Tourist Destinations project, the joint patrol program has been in place since 2018. The main role of the Chinese officers is to help local police communicate with and support the growing number of Chinese tourists, thereby enhancing their sense of safety while in the country.

China has become an increasingly important source of tourism for Croatia. According to the Croatian Tourist Board, in 2024 the country recorded more than 250,000 arrivals and 365,000 overnight stays from the Chinese market — an increase of 41 percent in arrivals and 37 percent in overnight stays compared with 2023.

The program has also won praise from tourists of other nationalities and from local residents.

“It is great because there are a lot of tourists over here, and people will feel a lot safer if they can talk to a police officer from their own country. Because a lot of tourists are not good at English, it is an easier way to communicate with each other,” said Rosalie Hemmink, a tourist from the Netherlands.

Zagreb resident Mirko Krolo called the initiative “praiseworthy.”

“This is a praiseworthy initiative, especially considering the large number of tourists from China visiting here. Given the language barriers and the situations they may find themselves in, this approach is both effective and praiseworthy,” he said.

Chinese and Croatian police officers talk with tourists during a joint patrol in Zagreb, Croatia, July 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xuejun)

For fellow local citizen Mia Slaufhauzer, the joint police patrol helps bridge cultural and linguistic divides.

“It is a helpful way to make the job of our police officers easier by bridging the communication gap. Additionally, it can help tourists feel much safer, as they will better understand what is expected of them and avoid potential misunderstandings,” she said.

Du Mu, leader of the Chinese joint patrol team, said Chinese tourists are often thrilled to see the officers, frequently stopping to talk or take photos with them. He also noted the strong cooperation between the Chinese and Croatian police teams, which he believes benefits bilateral relations.

“It is a good cooperation between our two countries. By delivering these high-quality services both to tourists from China and citizens of Croatia, we can constantly deepen friendship between our two countries,” Du said. ■