Officials in different countries are looking into the report revealing that China is operating overseas police stations abroad to monitor Chinese citizens and dissidents, extending its authority without permission.
Global Affairs Canada's director general for North Asia and Oceania Bureau, Weldon Epp, said before the Canada-China Committee last month that an investigation into the report from Safeguard Defenders is currently underway, The Epoch Times reported.
The said report revealed that China established overseas police stations, in the guise of legitimate offices providing services to Chinese people, in more than 50 countries in 5 continents.
The investigation is looking into the possibility that China has indeed set up overseas stations in other countries such as Canada. Epp said that if the report proves true, Canada would have to send a "serious representation" to Beijing because the overseas policing activity "fall outside of any legitimate police-to-police liaison role."
"The activity that's being alleged would be entirely illegal, totally inappropriate, and would be subject to very serious representations and follow-up diplomatically," Epp said.
Conservative MP Michael Chong asked Epp whether Global Affairs had already made representations to the Chinese Communist Party "about how unacceptable it is" for the CCP to establish overseas police stations so that it can continue intimidating Chinese citizens abroad and forcing them to return to China.
Epp responded to Chong by saying that his office is "working closely" with other agencies to determine the accuracy of the Safeguard Defenders report, and added that they have already voiced their concerns both to Ottawa and Beijing about "growing evidence of foreign interference" from China.
Chong then asked Epps if his office is investigating if the diplomats who are accredited to the Chinese embassy and other missions in Canada are involved or linked in any way to these reported overseas police stations. He also asked if the Canadian government already verified reports related to the locations of such stations.
"They're not only illegal, they're a violation of our sovereignty, a violation of international law, and violation of any diplomatic norms that are out there," Chong said.
Violation of international laws
Safeguard Defenders also reported that China has established at least one overseas police station in America, specifically in New York City.
This piece of information appears to have been confirmed by a Chinese state-backed media outlet called Dongnan News, which reported that the Chinese police authorities' division in New York opened earlier this year in Feb. 15.
Safeguard Defenders, a nongovernmental organization promoting and protecting the human rights of people in Asia, strongly accused the Chinese communist government of violating and disrespecting the international rule of law.
"These operations eschew official bilateral police and judicial cooperation and violate the international rule of law, and may violate the territorial integrity in third countries involved in setting up a parallel policing mechanism using illegal methods," the NGO said.
