Police authorities, in southwest China's Sichuan province, have shot dead hijacking suspect Zhang Fuming, 47, who held a female passenger at gunpoint for 12 hours on a local highway.

The local police in Cangxi county received emergency calls late Saturday amid reports that a person was shot.

Officers went to check on a suspicious looking car pulled over on the Guangyuan-Nanchong National Highway, after hearing a woman's cry for help from inside the car.

Police officers immediately arrived on the scene, to find Fuming holding a female passenger hostage in a Mercedes-Benz car, as he threatened to kill her.

A sniper was used to shoot Fuming dead at around 9:00am on Sunday.

The female passenger, who has been confirmed as the suspect's ex-partner, escaped unhurt and is currently being looked after by authorities.

Police officers found two pistols loaded with six rounds of bullets and eight shell cases in and around the car.

A preliminary investigation showed that Fuming suffered from years of drug use.