Canada is reportedly seeking to discuss with its Group of Seven (G7) allies on how to address the issue of overseas secret police stations run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This has become a common challenge faced by several member countries.
The CCP has established multiple overseas “police stations” in Western democratic countries to surveil and intimidate overseas Chinese communities. G7’s seven member countries – Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan – all have reports or coverage related to the CCP’s overseas policing activities, prompting discussions on how to tackle CCP’s encroachment on their sovereignty.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg on Saturday (July 13), Canada has conducted a detailed investigation into CCP’s secret police operations within its borders. In the coming weeks, Canada plans to share the investigation results with its G7 allies, hoping to explore a coordinated response. Due to the sensitivity of the topic under discussion, the sources requested anonymity.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa stated in a press release that “there are no so-called overseas police stations.”
The Madrid-based NGO “Safeguard Defenders” reported in 2022 that the CCP operates at least 54 overseas “police stations” across five continents.
The organization warned that these secret police stations are part of the CCP regime’s long-arm law enforcement and transnational repression, leading to the forced repatriation of 230,000 Chinese citizens living abroad between 2021 and 2022.
According to the report, the actions of forcibly repatriating Chinese citizens, known as “persuasion” by Beijing, are part of the CCP government’s crackdown on overseas Chinese telecom fraud activities. The organization cautioned that operations like “Skynet” and “Fox Hunt” also involve intimidation and even kidnapping of Chinese dissidents globally, with support from CCP’s secret police stations worldwide.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated that they are investigating allegations related to CCP’s secret police operations, including “reliable” information from the second largest province, Quebec.
In March 2023, the RCMP publicly announced investigations into two CCP secret police stations in Quebec – the Chinese Family Services Montreal in Montreal’s Chinatown and the Chinese Quebec Center on the South Shore.
Both centers denied the accusations and filed a lawsuit against the RCMP in December 2023. They have not responded to requests for comments.
In response to the lawsuit, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme revealed in an interview in March 2024 that the police relied on “reliable” information to investigate these centers. After the investigation was disclosed, the RCMP reported receiving at least 15 “important leads” regarding CCP police stations.
This week, the RCMP launched a campaign in Quebec to combat CCP interference, urging the public to provide any leads on threats, harassment, or intimidation activities related to CCP in Quebec.
A spokesperson for Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, Jean-Sebastien Comeau, stated in a press release, “Any form of foreign interference is completely unacceptable.”
“Given that investigations into foreign interference in Canada are underway, we will not provide further comments,” the statement added.
Beijing argues that these overseas police stations are managed by local volunteers to assist overseas Chinese citizens with document updates and provide other services.
In March 2024, Chinese dissident Ling Huazhan evaded forced “repatriation” by CCP agents and overseas police station chiefs at a French airport, drawing global attention.
Under the eyes of French police, Ling Huazhan was subdued by seven Chinese individuals, regardless of his resistance. They were trying to take him to the boarding gate. French border police intervened and thwarted the forced repatriation plan, saving Ling Huazhan.
The entire process was captured by French media on the scene and broadcasted on television.
The French media “Le Monde” reported on July 2nd, quoting informed sources, that the director and deputy director of the CCP National Security Ministry’s Paris office were accused of orchestrating the forced repatriation incident. These two Chinese officials with diplomatic immunity have been asked to leave France.
During an interview with New Tang Dynasty, Ling Huazhan detailed how CCP overseas police threatened and bribed him, subjected him to detention, beatings, and torture in France.
“I call on the French government and French police to arrest these CCP spies and overseas police, and those who need to be expelled should be expelled. I hope worldwide efforts are increased to combat CCP overseas police,” Ling Huazhan said.
The Japanese government has also expressed a firm stance against CCP overseas police stations, calling it a violation of sovereignty and completely unacceptable. Japanese media reported the presence of a police precinct in Tokyo run by the Fuzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau in Fujian Province. The location of a police station in Japan run by the Nantong Municipal Public Security Bureau in Jiangsu Province is currently unknown.
An informant living in Japan told Da Ji Yuan that CCP’s “overseas 110” operations are not service centers but means of directly engaging in espionage activities through intimidation and threats overseas, “no less than threatening lives.”
Bloomberg reported that an official said the UK also hopes to coordinate actions with Canada and other G7 member countries.
However, another official pointed out that coordinating response measures could be complex as many countries face this issue at the law enforcement level, and G7 countries have different legal systems.
In 2023, the UK government expressed shock over reports of CCP setting up police stations within its borders. In June of the same year, the UK government stated that China had closed these overseas 110 stations, with investigations finding no illegal activities by the CCP government at these overseas police stations due to the “suppressive influence of UK police and public oversight.”
In the same year, the US government in New York charged two Chinese individuals, accusing them of conducting illegal police actions in Chinatown on behalf of a branch of the CCP’s Public Security Bureau to “surveil and intimidate dissenters and critics of the Beijing government.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated in an anti-fraud campaign material that if someone claiming to be Chinese authorities contacts you, please contact your local FBI field office.
“Officials from foreign governments conducting lawful enforcement activities in the US must coordinate actions with US federal authorities,” the FBI emphasized.
Italy started investigating CCP’s overseas police stations following the “Safeguard Defenders” report. The German government stated that the country has two such secret police station locations.