Photograph your passport, visa and ID and keep a copy in the cloud; if you lose them, call the police first and then apply for a replacement travel document

High value
Evidence C
Saves money
Free
Takes minutes
No willpower

In plain words

If you lose your passport, the embassy or consulate can issue a travel document for returning to China. The condition is that you can prove who you are. With photos of the data page and the visa page and your entry and exit records in hand, replacement is much faster. You must also first report to the local police and get a receipt, and exit checks and insurance claims both accept that paper. A phone is often lost together with the passport, so don't keep the photos only on the phone.

Cost: Free. Take a few photos before you leave.
What you get: If you lose your passport, the embassy or consulate abroad can issue a travel document for you to return to China, but you must first prove your identity. With a clear photo of the passport data page, a photo of the visa page and your entry and exit records, replacement speed differs a great deal. You must also report to the local police first and get a report receipt. Exit checks and insurance claims in many countries need this document. The way to reach the embassy or consulate is the two consular protection numbers you saved in §21.2.
Notes: The way to store them is to put the photos in two different places, for example one copy in a cloud drive and one sent to a family member. Also print a paper copy and keep it apart from the originals. Photograph your bank cards and the prescriptions for medicines you use regularly too. A phone and a passport are usually lost together, so keeping copies only on the phone is the same as not keeping them. If the cloud drive login needs a text-message code to your phone, you may not be able to get in once the phone is lost. Before you leave, try logging in once on another device to confirm you can open it without this phone. ID photos are sensitive, so an encrypted way of storing them is safer. But if you forget the password to an encrypted store, no one can open it, so the copy sent to a family member should not be skipped.
Evidence grade: C : The author's experience or common practice, without direct literature.
Sources: 国务院 (2023). 领事保护与协助条例（国令第 763 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202307/content_6891761.htm（第十六条）
作者经验，无直接文献

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 21, tip 7. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer