Police officer China O'Brien is a good cop who teaches martial arts class to her fellow officers. After an altercation with a gang that leads to the accidental death of a young boy, China resigns from the force, and returns to her hometown of Beaver Creek, Utah. On her way into town she runs into her former high school sweetheart Matt Conroy. Searching for her father, she goes to the Beaver Creek Inn and encounters a hostile situation, as her father has just arrested one of the men there. Her father, John O'Brien, is the town sheriff. China finally catches up with him back at the station. John is losing control of the town to local crime boss Edwin Sommers, who controls corrupt deputy Marty Lickner and corrupt local judge Harry Godar. When John and honest deputy Ross Tyler are killed by car bombs that were planted by Sommers's henchmen, there is an emergency election to elect a new sheriff. Matt tells China that she has a lot of support from the townspeople, so she decides to run for sheriff against Lickner. At the same time, she starts cleaning up the town with the help of Matt and a Native American biker named Dakota, whose mother was murdered by Sommers. China wins the election, and then Maria, who had been her father's housekeeper up until his death, is murdered by Sommers' men in a drive-by shooting during the victory celebration. China has to force Judge Godar to swear her in as the new sheriff. China deputizes Matt and Dakota, and they set out to free Beaver Creek from Sommers' stranglehold. First, they bulldoze a house that Sommers was using to distribute drugs. Then, during an altercation at the Beaver Creek Inn, Dakota questions Lickner about his mother, and Lickner admits Sommers was responsible for his mother's death. Dakota takes Lickner's gun and gets on his motorcycle to Sommers's home. China realises Dakota intends to confront Sommers, and so she and Matt pursue Dakota. Dakota finds Sommers at the stables and points the gun at him. However, he restrains himself and when China and Matt arrive, Sommers is still alive. Matt handcuffs himself to Sommers but as they leave the stable, a woman that Sommers had locked up and beaten fires at Sommers and kills him. The next day, China asks Dakota what he will do next. Dakota says he will stay for the trial and China tells him she could use a man like him. Dakota laughs off being a cop to which Matt replies that they can discuss it over a beer.
Parts of the film were shot in Park City, Utah. After a career in Hong Kong, Golden Harvest worked to raise Rothrock's profile in her native America, and she was cast in China O'Brien. Film scholarRikke Schubart says the producers paired her with Richard Norton, who plays her boyfriend, and made her the daughter of a slain cop to make her more feminine and seem less threatening. Early in her career, Tori Amos recorded a song, "Distant Storm", which can only be heard by viewing the original film. Amos did not want to be credited under her real name and created a fake band, Tess Makes Good, to be credited.
Release
China O'Brien was released direct-to-video in the United States in 1990.
Reception
Variety called it "an okay showcase" for Rothrock.
Sequel
A sequel, China O'Brien II, was released in 1989. The film retains the same cast and crew.
