A PCI conflict detection and optimization method, comprising: when a physical cell identifier PCI conflict exists between a cell managed by a first control network element and a cell managed by a second control network element, receiving, by a first management network element, a first PCI optimization request message from the first control network element, wherein the first PCI optimization request message comprises PCIs of at least two cells, in which a PCI conflict exists, that are detected by the first control network element, evolved universal terrestrial radio access network cell global identifiers ECGIs of the at least two cells, and a vendor name of the second control network element, the at least two cells comprise at least one of cells managed by the first control network element and a first cell, and the first cell is a cell on which PCI optimization is performed by the second control network element; and when a vendor name of the first control network element is the same as the vendor name of the second control network element, performing, by the first management network element, PCI optimization on PCI conflicted cells managed by the first management network element, wherein the PCI conflicted cells comprise the at least two cells; or when a vendor name of the first control network element is different from the vendor name of the second control network element, sending, by the first management network element, a second PCI optimization request message to a second management network element, wherein the second PCI optimization request message is used to request the second management network element to perform PCI optimization. when a physical cell identifier PCI conflict exists between a cell managed by a first control network element and a cell managed by a second control network element, receiving, by a first management network element, a first PCI optimization request message from the first control network element, wherein the first PCI optimization request message comprises PCIs of at least two cells, in which a PCI conflict exists, that are detected by the first control network element, evolved universal terrestrial radio access network cell global identifiers ECGIs of the at least two cells, and a vendor name of the second control network element, the at least two cells comprise at least one of cells managed by the first control network element and a first cell, and the first cell is a cell on which PCI optimization is performed by the second control network element; and when a vendor name of the first control network element is the same as the vendor name of the second control network element, performing, by the first management network element, PCI optimization on PCI conflicted cells managed by the first management network element, wherein the PCI conflicted cells comprise the at least two cells; or when a vendor name of the first control network element is different from the vendor name of the second control network element, sending, by the first management network element, a second PCI optimization request message to a second management network element, wherein the second PCI optimization request message is used to request the second management network element to perform PCI optimization.