A non-governmental organization that documented dozens of undeclared Chinese "overseas police service centers" in September has now confirmed the operations of dozens more, a new report said on Monday.
Safeguard Defenders, a Spain-based rights group, said it found more than 100 of the police contact points in over 50 countries, with the law enforcement proxies working under the auspices of authorities in four jurisdictions in eastern China.
An investigation by Newsweek has verified a number of the police centers in the United States, where the offices are thought to exist as part of a wider network of Chinese overseas influence operations run by the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
In its new report, Patrol and Persuade, a follow-up to September's 110 Overseas, Safeguard Defenders continue to warn that the police proxy points—some established with the help of host countries—were being used to target would-be criminals suspected of cross-border crimes in a policing strategy that skips due process.
The network under which they operate was using "persuasion"—harassment abroad and coercion of family members in China—to force suspects to return home, said the nonprofit. Chinese dissidents were also among the targets.
The Chinese foreign ministry denies claims that officials backed by Beijing are running police operations abroad without the knowledge of host governments. It says the police contact points are in fact "overseas Chinese service centers," manned by the diaspora community and set up to assist with administrative tasks such as the renewal of expired driver's licenses.
Safeguard Defenders, using publicly available information, traced police service centers back to the public security bureaus, or PSBs, of Fuzhou in Fujian province; Wenzhou and Qingtian in Zhejiang province; and Nantong in Jiangsu province.
The list of host nations spanned six continents:
Angola (1). The Nantong PSB operates one overseas police service center in the country, but its precise location is unknown.
Argentina (2). The Wenzhou PSB and Fuzhou PSB each operate one service center in Buenos Aeries.
Australia (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Wenzhou PSB has a contact point in Sydney.
Austria (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Vienna.
Bangladesh (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Brazil (3). The Wenzhou PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Qingtian PSB and the Fuzhou PSB run contact points in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, respectively.
Brunei (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Cambodia (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Qingtian PSB has a contact point in Phnom Penh.
Canada (5). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Wenzhou PSB runs one in Vancouver. The Fuzhou PSB has three contact points in Toronto.
Chile (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Fuzhou PSB runs a contact point in Viña del Mar.
Colombia (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Bogotà.
Cuba (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Czech Republic (2). The Qingtian PSB and Fuzhou PSB each operate one service center in Prague.
Ecuador (3). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Qingtian PSB and the Fuzhou PSB run respective contact points in Guayaquil and Quito.
Ethiopia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
France (4). The Wenzhou PSB and Qingtian PSB each operate one service center in Paris, while the Fuzhou PSB runs two contact points in the French capital.
Germany (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Frankfurt.
Greece (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Athens.
Hungary (2). The Qingtian PSB and Fuzhou PSB each operate one service center in Budapest.
Indonesia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Ireland (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Dublin.
Israel (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Italy (11). The Wenzhou PSB operates one service center in each of Milan, Prato and Rome; the Qingtian PSB runs one each in Bolzano, Florence, Milan, Prato, Rome, Sicily and Venice; while the Fuzhou PSB has a contact point in Prato.
Japan (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Fuzhou PSB has a contact point in Tokyo.
Lesotho (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Maseru.
Madagascar (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center in Antananarivo.
Mongolia (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Ulaanbaatar.
Myanmar (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center in Yangon.
Namibia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
New Zealand (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Nigeria (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Fuzhou PSB runs one in Benin City.
Sudan (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Panama (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Peru (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Portugal (3). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Lisbon, while the Fuzhou PSB runs one each in Porto and Madeira.
Romania (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Russia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Serbia (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Qingtian PSB has one in Belgrade.
Slovakia (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Bratislava.
South Africa (3). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Wenzhou PSB and the Fuzhou PSB each run one contact point in Johannesburg.
South Korea (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Spain (9). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in each of Barcelona, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela and Valencia, while the Fuzhou PSB has two contact points in each of Barcelona and Madrid, as well as one in Valencia.
Sweden (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Stockholm.
Tanzania (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Dar es Salaam.
Netherlands (2). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Amsterdam, while the Fuzhou PSB has one in Rotterdam.
United Arab Emirates (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location, while the Wenzhou PSB runs a contact point in Dubai.
Ukraine (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Odesa.
United Kingdom (3). The Fuzhou PSB operates two service centers in London and one in Glasgow.
United States (4). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location; Wenzhou PSB runs one contact point in each of Los Angeles and New York; while the Fuzhou PSB has one in New York.
Uzbekistan (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Sirdaryo.
Vietnam (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
Zambia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center at an unknown location.
More than a dozen countries have launched probes into the activities of the police service centers. Many more, however, were yet to respond, said Safeguard Defenders.
"Firmly denounce and investigate all transnational repression efforts by the [People's Republic of China] and impose concrete costs on the entities and individuals involved, including through the imposition of coordinated targeted sanctions," it said.
It suggested the establishment of dedicated reporting channels for targeted individuals or those at risk.
"Educate local law enforcement and judicial authorities on the means and methods used in these transnational repression efforts," the nonprofit recommended.
Existing policing agreements with Beijing should be reviewed and suspended, it said.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Chinese policing? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.
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