A method for obtaining radio capability information of a terminal, wherein the method comprises: when a first terminal changes from a first communication path to a second communication path, receiving, by the first terminal, a first message sent by a base station, wherein the first communication path is a communication path for the first terminal to directly access a network, the second communication path is a communication path for the first terminal to access the network by using a second terminal, and the first message is used to obtain radio capability information of the first terminal, wherein the first message is a capability request message; and sending, by the first terminal, the radio capability information of the first terminal to the base station, wherein the radio capability information of the first terminal comprises information about a manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and identification information of the second terminal, or the radio capability information of the first terminal comprises information about a manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and radio capability information of the second terminal, wherein the information about the manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal is used to describe a near field communication technology used for connection between the second terminal and the first terminal including LTE D2D, Bluetooth, and WiFi, wherein, before the receiving, by the first terminal, a first message sent by a base station, the method further comprises: sending, by the first terminal, a second message to an MME, where the second message is a tracking area update, TAU, request message and the second message comprises capability update indication information and access path indication information of the first terminal, so that the MME may determine, based on the update indication information of the first terminal, that a network access manner of the first terminal changes, send a third message to the base station, and determine, based on the access path indication information of the first terminal, that the first terminal changes from the first communication path to the second communication path. when a first terminal changes from a first communication path to a second communication path, receiving, by the first terminal, a first message sent by a base station, wherein the first communication path is a communication path for the first terminal to directly access a network, the second communication path is a communication path for the first terminal to access the network by using a second terminal, and the first message is used to obtain radio capability information of the first terminal, wherein the first message is a capability request message; and sending, by the first terminal, the radio capability information of the first terminal to the base station, wherein the radio capability information of the first terminal comprises information about a manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and identification information of the second terminal, or the radio capability information of the first terminal comprises information about a manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and radio capability information of the second terminal, wherein the information about the manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal is used to describe a near field communication technology used for connection between the second terminal and the first terminal including LTE D2D, Bluetooth, and WiFi, wherein, before the receiving, by the first terminal, a first message sent by a base station, the method further comprises: sending, by the first terminal, a second message to an MME, where the second message is a tracking area update, TAU, request message and the second message comprises capability update indication information and access path indication information of the first terminal, so that the MME may determine, based on the update indication information of the first terminal, that a network access manner of the first terminal changes, send a third message to the base station, and determine, based on the access path indication information of the first terminal, that the first terminal changes from the first communication path to the second communication path.