Eskorte i Shanghai, China

In mainland China both selling and buying sex are prohibited. Under the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, as revised on 27 June 2025 and in force since 1 January 2026, the police may detain anyone who sells or buys sex for 10 to 15 days and fine them up to 5,000 yuan (up to 5 days or 1,000 yuan in minor cases); soliciting in public carries up to 5 days or 1,000 yuan. The revision also requires records of such public-order violations to be sealed. "Custody and education" (收容教育), a form of administrative detention for people who sold or bought sex, was abolished from 29 December 2019. Organising or forcing prostitution carries 5 to 10 years and up to life, and inducing, harbouring or introducing prostitution up to 5 years or more under the Criminal Law; posting prostitution solicitation information online can be prosecuted as illegal use of an information network. Source: Prostitution Laws (prostitutionlaws.org), https://prostitutionlaws.org/countries/china/, reviewed 2026-10-30, CC BY 4.0.