Opening the Elite "Training Chronicles": Unveiling the Sweat and Glory Behind the Special Police

As the May Day holiday arrives, the bustling streets are filled with crowds, and a steady dark blue figure remains on duty, guarding the peace of the four corners; they are the Public Security Special Police. What makes the special police "special"? Why is it that every time danger strikes and at critical moments facing peril, they can always charge forward without hesitation, turning danger into safety? Let’s seek the answers together.

From sixth in the world to third, emerging with extreme speed

During the UAE World Special Police Challenge held in February this year, when the number 3 minutes 40 seconds 156 was announced, the members of the Jiangsu Special Police team embraced tightly, fully aware that this achievement was hard-won.

The unprecedented extreme speed allowed the Jiangsu Special Police team to stand out among more than a hundred participating teams, winning second place in this event, and elevating their overall ranking from sixth in the world to third, bringing home two medals for China at the UAE World Special Police Challenge.

Sun Hongxin, officer of the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Bureau's Special Police Unit: We were very excited at the moment we stood on the podium; representing the country on the podium is a very honorable thing, and we feel very privileged.

To compete, special police officers undergo the most rigorous selection and training

The UAE World Special Police Challenge is known as the "World Cup" for special police, where elite teams from various countries compete on the same stage, exchanging and testing professional skills and practical abilities. This year, the Ministry of Public Security organized and dispatched 4 male teams and 2 female teams, a total of 6 teams to represent China. To stand on the international stage, the Jiangsu Special Police team members underwent the most rigorous selection and training.

Wu Yang, officer of the Nanjing Public Security Bureau's Special Police Unit: We wake up at 6:30 every day and practice until 10 PM. The level of tacit understanding we have reached means that with just a glance, we can know what the other person is going to do next.

Outstanding results earn a ticket to the world's top events

This level of tacit understanding is not achieved overnight. In July 2025, the National Public Security Special Police Challenge will be held in Urumqi, Xinjiang, where Wu Yang and his teammates won the overall championship representing Jiangsu. This achievement also earned the Jiangsu Special Police team a ticket to the UAE World Special Police Challenge. Subsequently, the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department conducted multiple rounds of selection and elimination across the province, ultimately selecting 8 members from dozens of special police officers to form the representative team.

Following that, the Jiangsu special police officers and the coaching team engaged in a three-month closed training. Rappelling from towers, overcoming obstacles, climbing sand pits, and firearms shooting; every day everyone was honing their skills and repeatedly practicing.

Training for tacit understanding, every second counts, and no one drags the team down

The UAE World Special Police Challenge consists of 5 competition events, all conducted in team format, which means that the competition on the field is not only a test of individual skills but also a test of the tacit cooperation among team members.

The competition is interconnected, and any slight action can affect the entire team's rhythm. On the first day of the competition, the team was penalized with a 30-second time penalty due to a minor action flaw, placing the Jiangsu Special Police team's overall score ranking at 34th in the world.

Resilience in adversity, the brief setback did not defeat the team

The brief setback did not crush the team's morale; instead, it made everyone more determined. However, an accident still occurred in the final segment of the rapid assault course.

Due to the dummy's center of gravity being unbalanced, at the moment they crossed the finish line, a 160-pound dummy fell heavily on Wu Yang's foot.

Officer Wu Yang: It felt like a piercing pain, like stepping on a dull knife; at that moment, my foot could no longer bend.

The competition continued, and after careful consideration, Wu Yang chose to endure the pain, using medication and ice to numb the affected area, completing the competition despite his injury.

In fact, during the high-intensity preparation, all team members sustained varying degrees of injuries. Zhang Qianjin suffered a left chest rib fracture after accidentally falling during the national public security special police challenge, and before fully recovering, he fell again during training, resulting in a right chest rib fracture. At that time, whether to continue participating in the training became a dilemma for him.

"A group of people, one goal, one heart, striving together"

"A group of people, one goal, one heart, striving together." This is the slogan that special police officers often say during training, and persevering until the last moment is the first tacit understanding they developed.

To streamline actions and reduce time, during training, Zhang Lin took on the heavy burden, gripping the lever with both hands throughout, serving as the support point for the team’s climbing over obstacles. However, due to the differences in equipment between domestic and international competition venues, Zhang Lin's hands were left bruised from repeated friction during the adaptation to the venue.

Turning adversity into victory, winning third place in the special police challenge

They persevered, all for one goal: to showcase the style of Chinese special police. In the end, the Jiangsu Special Police team turned the tide and won third place in the 7th UAE World Special Police Challenge.

Sun Hongxin, officer of the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Bureau's Special Police Unit: I can still hear a voice in my ears, cheering for the Chinese team. At that moment, all I could hear was that voice, and I gritted my teeth to reach the finish line.

Two female special police teams make their debut in international top events

On the same competitive stage, two spirited female special police teams, filled with passion and mission, are also competing fiercely. This is the first time China has sent female special police to participate in this top international event; however, this highest hall of global special police does not give any special treatment based on gender. The height of obstacles, weight standards, and shooting distances are all the same for male and female teams, where cruelty and fairness coexist.

When the Sichuan female special police team stood at the starting line, these slender Chinese girls were met with polite yet skeptical gazes from the outside.

Wang Jiali, officer of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau's Anti-Terrorism Special Police Unit: At first, they all cheered for us, but later on, they were giving us thumbs up.

This group of girls is different! Achieving shocking results

This "difference" ultimately translated into shocking results: the Sichuan female special police team won the women's group runner-up with a total score of 393 points; they ranked 28th in the mixed-gender overall standings, surpassing over 70% of the male teams worldwide. In the five major events and over 200 sub-events, they successfully overcame 60 obstacles and hit 137 targets without a single miss, becoming the only team among the six Chinese participating teams to achieve "zero penalties, zero points deducted, and zero errors."

Two months after the expedition concluded, we met this group of girls at the Sichuan training base. When discussing this world-shocking campaign, their summary was particularly straightforward.

Wang Jiali, officer of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau's Anti-Terrorism Special Police Unit: I think we are a bit crazy; I actually feel that we are a group of crazy people, a group of people with obsessions coming together, just wanting to do this well, a very simple idea.

The most challenging segment of "Officer Rescue" actively chooses a more difficult mode

In the "Officer Rescue" event, the most challenging segment is to collaboratively carry a giant tire weighing 240 pounds. Most female teams choose to collaborate with four members, while the Sichuan female special police team actively chose the more difficult three-member mode.

Three members coordinated to steadily lift the heavy tire onto their shoulders. This action is a challenge even for burly Western male team members, and for the three "Sichuan girls," it was an extreme test on the edge of oxygen deprivation. This strength and tacit understanding are hidden in each person's perspective.

Strict rules on the field, geographical environment as the biggest variable

On the field, the rules are strict. Several segments can only proceed after the sniper fires the first shot. The strong winds in the Dubai desert became the biggest variable for shooting.

Zou Xue, who achieved "zero misses" throughout the competition, actually made a comeback from being a "substitute."

Zou Xue, deputy captain of the Nanchong Public Security Bureau's Special Patrol Police Unit: In 2019, when I participated in the second provincial pistol shooting competition, I became a substitute. Then, after less than a month of training, I achieved first place in the female police group. Since then, I have participated in various competitions.

Close cooperation flows smoothly, winning respect from the world

With close cooperation and smooth execution, the team successfully crossed the finish line. After five days of fierce competition, they earned the respect of the entire world with their strength.

After returning to the country, the girls returned to their ordinary posts. Selected from various places in Sichuan, they returned to their respective police camps. The simplest joy is being able to sleep soundly.

As spring turns to summer, the girls gathered again in Chengdu, and a new round of training is about to begin. Shedding the passion and tension of the competition, looking at the cute decorations on their tactical backpacks, and listening to them discuss their daily lives of adopting kittens, you will understand that "world-class special police" is just one aspect of their youth meeting the dark blue.

Wang Jiali, officer of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau's Anti-Terrorism Special Police Unit: Because training here is actually quite monotonous, basically day after day spent on the training ground, but I know where I can apply my training, one competition is one practical application.

Wu Yang, officer of the Nanjing Public Security Bureau's Special Police Unit: Achieving a ranking in this competition is not the only goal; rather, it is to transform the exchanges and competitions from this event into our daily work and life, so that when the people need us, we can stand up and protect them.

(CCTV reporters Zhang Libin, Chen Fengxin, Li Jia, Zhang Chen)