Chinese 'Service Stations' Tracking Dissidents Abroad

"We are Investigating the activities of three so-called police centres. Once there is more clarity on the matter we will decide on appropriate action."

"We have not been informed about these centres via diplomatic channels.":

"If the developments outlined in the report by Safeguard Defenders threatens to strengthen the feelings of intimidation and threats among the Dutch Chinese community, that is a bad thing, and the government is of the opinion that action should be taken against this."

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 

"Due to the impact of COVID-19, many Chinese overseas cannot return to China in time to deal with matters like driver's licence renewal."

"In order to help them, relevant Chinese local governments have opened online service platforms, mainly assisting Chinese nationals in need in handling physical examinations and changes of driver's licences."

Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson

According to the Irish Times, this Fuzhou overseas police service station opened in Dublin earlier this year. The newspaper says the signage has since been removed. (Conor Gallagher/The Irish Times)

The news is finally emerging of China's establishment of dozens of "overseas police stations" around the world causing activists living in those countries as citizens who are critical of Beijing to fear they could be tracked and harassed as dissidents in China's crackdown on 'corruption'. The new Chinese legislation makes it lawful (for China) to arrest and charge with treason any critics of the Beijing government wherever they live. 

It has been revealed the cadres of the United Front Work Department installed alongside Chinese embassies and consulates abroad harass and intimidate Chinese who are citizens of other countries whom China suspects or has reason to believe agitate against China. The more recent appearance of these 'police stations' posing as helpful consular enclaves on foreign soil simply continue the work of the United Front going so far as to pressure Chinese living abroad to return to China to prevent harm coming to their relatives.

The outposts' presence coming to light reveals the growing concern relating to the ruling Chinese Communist Party's ongoing influence over its citizens and former citizens now living abroad. The other nations within which these groups operate view the activities as illegal, in the process devaluing democratic institutions while China's well-known and seasoned theft of economic and political secrets are accessed to benefit China.

The non-governmental group based in Spain, Safeguard Defenders, last month published a report titled "110 Overseas Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild", focusing on the stations. Three such police stations have been discovered in Toronto, registered as ;service stations' under operation of the Fuzhon Public Security Bureau, a police force esatblished in the Chinese metropolis of Fuzhon. 

In the Netherlands a virtual office in Amsterdam and another at a physical address in Rotterdam were being investigated by the Dutch government. Mao Ning, a spokesperson with the Chinese Foreign Ministry explained "Chinese public security authorities strictly observe the international law and fully respect the judicial sovereignty of other countries". And as Wang Wenbin, another Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman observed, China is tracking down transnational crimes, their operation conducted fully in line with international law.

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