In recent news, Chinese police have made headlines with their latest initiatives and reforms.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
- What Is the Global Scope of China’s Overseas Police Operations?
- Why Does Beijing Defend These Controversial Operations?
- How Have Nations Responded to These Unauthorized Chinese Police Stations?
- What Recent Developments Have Occurred Between 2023-2025?
- How Do These Stations Fit Into China’s Broader Transnational Repression?
- References Part 1
- References Part 2
What Is the Global Scope of China’s Overseas Police Operations?
China has been accused of operating a vast network of undercover police stations across the globe. Initially identified in 2022, these stations are believed to be used by China to garner greater control over Chinese dissidents located in foreign countries. The undeclared ‘police stations’ were first documented in countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK. [i]
The non-governmental organization (NGO), Safeguard Defenders, based in Spain, brought up the initial claims. They released a report in September 2022 claiming that the Chinese government was responsible for setting up Chinese police service stations overseas across five continents. By December 2022, their follow-up investigation “Patrol and Persuade” had identified 102 such stations operating in 53 countries across North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. [ii]
Within the UK, three unauthorized police stations were identified. When setting up these secret undercover police stations, the Chinese present their purpose as helping Chinese citizens residing in other countries with tasks such as renewing a driver’s license. [iii]
Despite these claims, Safeguard Defenders repudiates China’s claim, insisting that the centers are actually set up to act as,
Public security bodies intended to leverage Chinese citizens into returning to Chinese soil, or to prevent dissenters from speaking out against the Chinese Communist Party regime. [iv]
Why Does Beijing Defend These Controversial Operations?
Chinese spokesman Wang Wenbin asserted that the facilities referenced are “service stations for Chinese citizens abroad to help overcome difficulty. Such services are mainly targeted at physical examinations and changing drivers’ licenses.” [v]
In subsequent statements, Beijing has maintained that these stations provide legitimate services to overseas Chinese citizens. In 2023, as international pressure mounted, the Chinese government claimed that many stations had already closed and their services moved online “in light of the evolving COVID situation.” [vi]
How Have Nations Responded to These Unauthorized Chinese Police Stations?
A joint probe by Dutch outlet RTL News and Follow the Money indicated the existence of public testimony of a dissident Chinese citizen. Wang Jingyu resides in the Netherlands and reports his experience with the ‘stations.’ He claims that he received a message from an individual contending that they were from the Rotterdam Chinese police station. He said,
He asked me to go back to China to solve my problems. He also told me to think about my parents. [vii]
The Dutch government launched an investigation into the reports. The foreign ministry released a statement that they,
Are investigating exactly what they are doing here and will then take appropriate action. The Dutch government wasn’t made aware of these operations through the diplomatic channels with the Chinese government. That is illegal. It is very wrong [that] a Chinese national has apparently been subjected to intimidation and harassment here in the Netherlands. [viii]
The Netherlands and China subscribe to the Vienna convention, which requires that permission be obtained to gather intelligence on foreign soil. [ix]
What Recent Developments Have Occurred Between 2023-2025?
Since the initial revelations, numerous countries have taken action against these alleged police stations:
- United States: In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice charged two men for conspiring to act as Chinese government agents and for obstruction of justice for collaborating with Chinese police to open a station in Manhattan’s Chinatown. One of the men tied to the Manhattan station was alleged to have participated in a “persuasion to return” operation and helped locate a California-based activist. [x]
- Canada: In December 2022, Canada summoned China’s ambassador over the “so-called police stations” and issued a “cease and desist” warning. By March 2023, Canadian authorities were investigating alleged Chinese police posts in Quebec. [xi]
- Ireland and Netherlands: Both countries demanded the closure of stations within their borders. The Netherlands’ foreign minister reported in December 2022 that the government had taken “immediate steps” to close stations inside the country. [xii]
- United Kingdom: In June 2023, the UK’s Minister for State Security declared the stations “unacceptable” but acknowledged that a police investigation into three UK-based stations found no evidence of illegal activity. [xiii]
- G7 Response: In a May 2023 communique, the G7 called on Beijing to abide by the Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular relations, a reference to stations conducting consular business outside diplomatic missions. [xiv]
By 2025, several investigations have resulted in prosecutions, particularly in the United States, where the Justice Department has expanded its focus to include Chinese cyber operations. In March 2025, the U.S. charged 12 Chinese nationals, including two officers of China’s Ministry of Public Security, for global computer intrusion campaigns targeting dissidents and government agencies. [xv]
How Do These Stations Fit Into China’s Broader Transnational Repression?
What makes these service stations particularly concerning is their connections to Chinese state transnational repression. Beijing has a well-documented history of harassing and intimidating overseas Chinese citizens and diaspora members. Those that China targets domestically are also pursued abroad, including activists, human rights lawyers, protesters, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and students, among others. [xvi]
The case of Swedish publisher Gui Minhai illustrates the broader pattern of transnational repression. Kidnapped from Thailand in October 2015, Gui was sentenced to ten years in prison in February 2020 on charges of “illegally providing intelligence to foreign countries.” As of October 2025, ten years after his kidnapping, his whereabouts remain unknown despite international pressure for his release. [xvii]
These overseas police stations appear to be embedded in China’s “united front system,” which General Secretary Xi Jinping has called a “magic weapon” for the “Chinese people’s great rejuvenation.” Outside China, Beijing has long used this system to “guide, buy, or coerce political influence abroad,” including through overseas Chinese work (qiaowu) aimed at building connections with the Chinese diaspora. [xviii]
References Part 1
[i] Peter Cluskey, Dutch ministry to investigate reports of China operating two illegal ‘police stations’ in country (Oct. 26, 2022)
[ii] Id.
[iii] NOS News, China has illegal police stations in the Netherlands, indications of intimidation (Oct. 25, 2022)
[iv] Id.
[v] Netherlands Posts English, China has illegal police stations in the Netherlands: indications of intimidation (Oct. 25, 2022)
[vi] Fred Basset, China accused of opening ‘illegal police stations’ in UK and Europe (Oct. 26, 2022)
[vii] Hesham Elrafei, Treaty Convention, International Law Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties Explained (Mar. 31, 2021)
[viii] Brookings Institution, China’s overseas police stations: An imminent security threat? (Feb. 2024)
[ix] Safeguard Defenders, Patrol and Persuade: A follow-up investigation to 110 Overseas (Dec. 2022)
References Part 2
[x] U.S. Department of Justice, Two New York Residents Charged with Operating Illegal Chinese Police Station in Manhattan’s Chinatown (Apr. 17, 2023)
[xi] Associated Press, Canada investigates alleged Chinese police posts in Quebec (Mar. 9, 2023)
[xii] The Guardian, Netherlands demands closure of unauthorized Chinese police stations (Dec. 2022)
[xiii] UK Parliament, Statement on Unauthorized Chinese Police Stations (Jun. 2023)
[xiv] G7, G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué (May 20, 2023)
[xv] U.S. Department of Justice, Justice Department Charges 12 Chinese Contract Hackers and Law Enforcement Officers in Global Computer Intrusion Campaigns (Mar. 5, 2025)
[xvi] Freedom House, Transnational Repression in the Digital Age (2024)
[xvii] Safeguard Defenders, 10 years since Gui Minhai’s kidnapping (Oct. 15, 2025)
[xviii] Australian Strategic Policy Institute, The united front work system and its role in influence operations (2024)
If you have any questions or want to report a tip or other concern, please do not hesitate to message DOPE Quick Reads.
[Article Note: This piece was originally published on NewsBreak and has been archived and transferred to DOPE Quick Reads to preserve its informational value. Original publication date: 2022-12-20]
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