Allegations have emerged that China has established more than 100 police stations worldwide to surveil, harass, and potentially repatriate Chinese citizens living in exile, in collaboration with other countries.
According to a report by NGO Safeguard Defenders cited by CNN, China is said to have set up an additional 48 police stations abroad since the initial disclosure of 54 stations in September.
China has refuted these claims, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing CNN in November that such allegations aimed at tarnishing China’s reputation are unacceptable.
The facilities in question were reportedly portrayed as administrative centers to assist Chinese expatriates with tasks such as renewing their driver’s licenses. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they also provided aid to citizens who were stranded in other countries and unable to renew their documentation.
The new report, titled ‘Patrol and Persuade,’ delves into the extensive network and explores the collaborative policing initiatives between China and various European nations, including Italy, Croatia, Serbia, and Romania, as reported by CNN.
The report alleges that between 2015 and 2019, China signed police patrol agreements with several countries. The Safeguard Defenders report also claims that Italian police conducted joint patrols with Chinese counterparts in cities such as Rome, Milan, and Naples from 2016 to 2018.
Additionally, Italy reportedly hosted 11 Chinese police stations, including in Venice and Prato near Florence. The revelations have spurred investigations in at least 13 different countries. CNN reported that Ireland has closed the Chinese police station on its territory, and probes are underway in the Netherlands and Spain.
Furthermore, the report alleges that a Chinese citizen was coerced into returning home by officials working covertly in a Chinese overseas police station near Paris, along with two other Chinese exiles who had been forcibly returned from Europe – one in Serbia and the other in Spain.