Consular Notification After Detention in China

Ask for consular notification promptly — then still retain PRC criminal counsel; the consul is not your defender.

Bilateral consular conventions and PRC practice provide for notifying a detainee’s consulate and arranging visits, subject to procedures and timing. Notification is not automatic release, evidence suppression, or a substitute for a licensed PRC defender. Families should track what was notified and when visits occurred. Some nationals have different treaty practice. This page is the consular layer. Foreign-nationals-detained is the broader checklist. Exit bans are a separate restriction after or beside the case.