China has opened illegal police stations across globe, claims report

In a desire to become a world superpower, the Chinese government has opened illegal police stations in various countries of the world including in developed countries like Canada and Ireland, triggering concerns among human rights campaigners.

According to a news report by Investigative Journalism Reportika, “China has opened such illegal police stations in Canada along with the Public Safety Agency (PSP). There are 3 police stations in Greater Toronto alone.”

Human rights worries

China’s move has raised concerns among human rights activists.

Also read: All set for five-year Communist Party of China congress: What’s at stake?

In a separate report about ten days ago by ‘Safeguard Defenders’, a human rights NGO, police in China, in coordination with overseas association of Chinese, has established a series of overseas police “service stations”, in particular in Europe. The report says that in Spain, there are 9 such stations. “While much of their work is to simply service Chinese residents, or tourists, evidence from the Chinese government shows that one station in Madrid, has been actively working with Chinese police to engage in covert and illegal policing operations in Spain,” it says.

The Reportika report stated citing the local media that informal police service stations affiliated with the Public Security Bureau (PSB) across Canada have been set up to antagonize China’s adversaries.

According to local media reports, at least three of these stations in the Greater Toronto Area only.

Moreover, the report says, the Chinese government is also influencing the elections in certain countries through these illegal police stations.

Accused of influencing elections

China exerts its influence and influence on the elections in various countries through these illegal police stations. China has so far set up and monitored 30 illegal police stations in 21 countries, according to police in the city of Basho, China.

Countries like Ukraine, France, Spain, Germany, and the UK have such arrangements for Chinese Police Stations and the leaders of most of these countries question the rise of China and its worsening human rights records on public platforms and are themselves a part of that issue.

Human rights campaigners have accused the ruling Communist Party of China of committing widespread abuses across the country in the name of security, steps which include confining people to internment camps, forcibly separating families and carrying out forced sterilization.

Vocational centres, says China

For its part, China has said these facilities are “vocational skills training centres” that are necessary to “counter” extremism and improve livelihoods. Chinese officials said in late 2019 that most “trainees” had “graduated” from the centres.

Also read: US sending ‘dangerous signals’ on Taiwan, China tells US’ state secretary Blinken

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet recently visited China and Xinjiang.