International Desk: Recently published in the world media, China has secret police stations in at least 21 countries of the world. The United States is among the 21 countries spread over five continents. And the United States’ central intelligence agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has expressed concern. Hindustan Times reported this information in a report.
According to the report, FBI director Christopher Wray said this to US lawmakers on Thursday (November 17). There, he said, the US is deeply concerned about the Chinese government setting up unauthorized ‘police stations’ in US cities. Perhaps these ‘police stations’ have been set up in US cities to spread influence.
Safeguard Defenders, a European-based human rights organization, released a report in September this year. There, the agency said, there are dozens of Chinese police ‘service stations’ in major cities around the world, including New York City.
There are dozens of Chinese police ‘service stations’ in major cities around the world, including New York City, USA
Republican lawmakers in the US Congress followed suit. Opposition lawmakers demanded answers from President Joe Biden’s administration about the impact of these Chinese police stations.
Beijing is setting up secret police stations in different countries to keep the people who are opposed to the ruling communist government in China and scattered in different countries of the world under surveillance. Besides New York, China has 54 police stations in 25 cities in at least 21 countries on 5 continents.
In the list of these countries, along with industrialized and rich countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, Ireland, there are also conflicting poor countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia. However, the information of these secret stations is known to very few people except the high-ranking officials of the Chinese government.
The secret police stations are part of Beijing’s efforts to pressure some Chinese nationals or their relatives abroad to return to China to face criminal charges. It also linked them to the activities of the United Front Work Department in China. This organization of the Chinese Communist Party carries out party influence and propaganda work abroad.
“I am very concerned about this,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Thursday. We are aware of the existence of these police stations.’
But while acknowledging the presence of China’s secret police station on US soil, Christopher Wray declined to detail the FBI’s investigative work on the matter.
He said it was outrageous to think that the Chinese police would try to set up shop in New York without proper coordination. It violates sovereignty and obstructs the process of standard judicial and law enforcement action.
Asked by Republican Senator Rick Scott whether such unlicensed stations violated US law, Christopher Wray said the FBI was looking into the legal issues.
Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives, including Greg Murphy and Mike Waltz, sent a letter to the US Department of Justice last October. They want to know if President Joe Biden’s administration is investigating such stations.
Republican lawmakers argue that China’s secret police stations could be used to intimidate US residents of Chinese descent. The Chinese embassy in Washington was contacted for comment on the matter, but they did not immediately respond.
In early November, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denied having such a station in the Netherlands after an investigation by Dutch authorities. China said it had opened offices there to help Chinese citizens renew their documents.
Ray said Washington has accused the Chinese government of complicity in harassing, oppressing, monitoring and blackmailing people who are not supporters of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the United States.
This is a real problem and they have discussed it with their foreign partners as well. Because the United States is not the only country where this has happened, said Christopher Ray.
