A control method for collecting traffic statistics, comprising: obtaining, by a control node, a statistics collection instruction, wherein the statistics collection instruction is used to instruct to collect traffic statistics of a target data flow; generating, by the control node, a traffic statistics collection policy according to the statistics collection instruction, wherein the traffic statistics collection policy comprises a matching identifier of the target data flow, a first command, and a second command, the first command is used to instruct a forwarding node to set a traffic identifier for the target data flow based on the matching identifier, the second command is used to instruct the forwarding node to add traffic generated by a target packet to a traffic statistics collection result corresponding to the traffic identifier, the target packet belongs to the target data flow, and the traffic statistics collection result corresponding to the traffic identifier is used to describe the traffic of the target data flow; sending, by the control node, the traffic statistics collection policy to the forwarding node; and the method further comprises: receiving, by the control node, first interface report information sent by the forwarding node, where the first interface report information carries an interface identifier of a target interface and an interface name of the target interface, and the target interface is an interface that is on the forwarding node and that is configured to forward the target packet, wherein the first interface report information is carried in a first Border Gateway Protocol-Link State, BGP-LS, protocol packet. obtaining, by a control node, a statistics collection instruction, wherein the statistics collection instruction is used to instruct to collect traffic statistics of a target data flow; generating, by the control node, a traffic statistics collection policy according to the statistics collection instruction, wherein the traffic statistics collection policy comprises a matching identifier of the target data flow, a first command, and a second command, the first command is used to instruct a forwarding node to set a traffic identifier for the target data flow based on the matching identifier, the second command is used to instruct the forwarding node to add traffic generated by a target packet to a traffic statistics collection result corresponding to the traffic identifier, the target packet belongs to the target data flow, and the traffic statistics collection result corresponding to the traffic identifier is used to describe the traffic of the target data flow; sending, by the control node, the traffic statistics collection policy to the forwarding node; and the method further comprises: receiving, by the control node, first interface report information sent by the forwarding node, where the first interface report information carries an interface identifier of a target interface and an interface name of the target interface, and the target interface is an interface that is on the forwarding node and that is configured to forward the target packet, wherein the first interface report information is carried in a first Border Gateway Protocol-Link State, BGP-LS, protocol packet.