The paper first discusses the epidemic surveillance systems of China, and suggests that an intelligence system of foreign public health could be established to diversify the type of surveillance channels and intelligence sources. Then, the paper analyzes the four components (personnel, intelligence, technology, organization) of the intelligence system of foreign public health, based on the practice of Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Last, the paper suggests that the intelligence system of foreign public health can play a role in emergency decision-making in a major public health emergency in five aspects that are outbreak surveillance and warning, maintaining global public health security, supporting the development of economy, giving people correct information on the prevent and control of infectious diseases, and learning from foreign experience.