Regulations protect minor guests at hotels

Hotels in China reported to police more than 42 million check-ins by minor guests in 2024, the Ministry of Public Security said, adding that authorities have also handled 522,000"suspicious incidents" involving minors to ensure their safety.

In a news release on Saturday, the ministry said police continued urging hotel operators to comply with special requirements for accommodating minors and held accountable those who have failed to do so.

The regulations, introduced in 2021 under China's Law on the Protection of Minors, require hotels to verify the identities of minors checking in, register their information and report it to police.

Hotels must also record contact details of the minors' parents or guardians, verify the identities of those sharing rooms with them, enhance patrols and visitor management to prevent rights violations, and alert police and guardians if suspicious circumstances arise.

The ministry highlighted five cases where hotels contacted police last year to help protect minors.

In one case, a hotel in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, reported three adults in September who were unable to provide identification for a female infant accompanying them. Police determined the child was being trafficked, rescued the infant and cracked the case through further investigation.

And in June, a hotel in Shanghai's Baoshan district reported two boys who had traveled from outside the city and refused to provide their guardians' contact information. Police learned the boys had run away from home after a fight with their parents. Officers contacted the parents, who picked up their children.