AMSTERDAM.- China could have set up dozens of ‘overseas police stations’ that the militants fear to be able to be used to stalk and harass dissidents in other countries as a member of campaign of repression led by Beijing, so there are already governments investigating these “illegal offices”.

non-governmental organization Foundation Save Defendersbased in Madrid, published a report last month entitled “110 outside the country. The chinese transnational police gone mad,” which focused on official Chinese overseas facilities.

The report revealed that Chinese law enforcement had established offices in 30 countries and used them to pursue political goals abroadeven in Secret and illegal police operations in Spain”.

The objective of these clandestine centers is that the Chinese Communist Party stifle criticism within expat communities “as many as you have had in your country for so long”said the spokeswoman for Save Defenders, Laura Hart.

The dutch government said this week that he was investigating whether two of these clandestine police stations – one in a virtual office in Amsterdam and the other in a physical address in Rotterdam – were established in the Netherlands.

“We are investigating the activities of these so-called police centers. Once there is more clarity on the matter, we will decide on the appropriate action,” the Dutch foreign ministry said in a statement.

“If the events described in the Safeguard Defenders report threaten to reinforce the feeling of intimidation and threats within the Dutch Chinese community, that is a bad thing, and the government believes that action must be taken. against this,” the ministry added. . “What is certain is that The Chinese government never informed us of the centers through diplomatic channels, so they are illegal to begin with. »

The investigation comes after Dutch media RTL News and the investigative website “Follow The Money” reported that two such offices performed functions, including the remote renewal of driving licenses for Chinese citizens. These reports indicate that the operation in the Dutch capital has been around since 2018.

RTL News interviewed Wang Jingyu, a Chinese dissident, who said representatives from one such office in Rotterdam tried to pressure him to return to Chinaas part of a massive campaign of harassment.

Besides the Netherlands, other governments, such as the Ireland, USA and Canadaexpressed their concern and took action in this regard.

Last week a document released by the court in Brooklyn, New York, exposed the possible case of foreign interference and accused seven Chinese citizens of carrying out a campaign of harassment and surveillance against a Chinese resident in the United States for “causing the forced repatriation of a Chinese citizen”.

“As alleged, the defendants participated in a unilateral and uncoordinated police action on U.S. soil on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China, for the purpose of bringing about the forcible repatriation of a U.S. resident to China,” said Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “The United States will vigorously oppose these gross violations of national sovereignty and will prosecute individuals who act as unlawful agents of foreign states.”

The text also alleges that one of the defendants, Quanzhong An, who is in custody, operated from Canada and suggested the son of the harassed Chinese citizen travel to Toronto to discuss the case.

As, the Irish government has ordered the closure of a Chinese “police station” in the center of Dublin after the pressure of Safeguarding advocates, according reported the BBC. The Irish Foreign Office said no Chinese authority had requested permission to set up the alleged police station.

spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mao ningHe assured Thursday that “Chinese public security authorities strictly observe international law and fully respect the judicial sovereignty of other countries”.

The day before, another ministry spokesman, Wang Wen Binalso denied that Beijing was doing anything wrong.

“The accusation is simply false. China’s public security authorities are fully committed to fighting transnational crimes in accordance with law, while strictly observing international law and fully respecting the judicial sovereignty of other countries,” Wang said at a conference. hurry.

Beijing defended a more assertive foreign policy under the mandate of the President Xi Jinping after a Hong Kong protester was seen being arrested at the Chinese consulate in Manchester earlier this month.

Chinese state media reported that between April 2021 and July this year, he was persuaded 230,000 citizens once again face criminal chargesaccording The New York Times.

AP and Reuters agencies

THE NATION