China has set up a network of several "overseas police service stations," including one in New York City, the details were published by human rights watchdog group Safe Guard Defenders, in a report it compiled for the The New York Post.
There are dozens of police stations in various countries around the world, including the United States, from which the Chinese communist regime monitors its citizens living outside of China. In North America, in addition to the New York station, China has three stations in Toronto (Canada). The rest are spread throughout the world, with a strong presence in Europe. In total, there are more than 50 police stations in some 30 countries.
Violation of international law
Safe Guard Defenders denounced that "these operations avoid bilateral cooperation, official police and judicial cooperation, violate the international rule of law, and may violate the territorial integrity of other countries involved in the creation of a police mechanism using illegal methods.
The report, entitled 110 Overseas: Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild, states that these police stations are used to assist the Chinese Communist Party by "cracking down on all kinds of illegal and criminal activities involving Chinese abroad." According to the report, the main criminal activities monitored by these Chinese Communist Party satellites are fraud and telecommunications fraud.
110 Overseas by VozMedia on Scribd
Human rights violations
The report notes that from April 2021 to July 2022, Chinese authorities claimed that 230,000 Chinese nationals have been "successfully persuaded to return" to China to face criminal prosecution for their actions.
Typically, among the methods used to ensure that a citizen returns to China are alleged human rights violations. In order for the Chinese citizen under investigation to return home, the Chinese authorities intimidate and imprison the target's family. Additionally, the Communist Party's own proxies threaten the investigated person online or in person until they make them return to China "voluntarily."
Safe Guard Defenders fears that these police stations also serve as centers for spreading Chinese government propaganda and monitoring the behavior and opinions of its citizens.
"As these operations continue to develop and new mechanisms are established, it is clear that countries held to established standards of universal human rights and the rule of law urgently need to investigate these practices, mitigate the risks and effectively protect the growing number of people affected," the report concludes.
*Update:
On April 17, the Department of Justice announced the arrest and indictment of two Chinese nationals.The detainees are accused of operating an espionage station in Manhattan on orders from the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China. According to the DOJ, the mission of this police station, in addition to carrying out espionage work, was to persecute and harass Chinese dissidents based in the United States who spread messages against the Beijing government. Along with this arrest, the DOJ also announced new charges filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York against at least 40 officials from China's Ministry of Public Security.
