China has been accused of establishing at least two undeclared “police stations” in the Netherlands. Dutch media found evidence that the “overseas service stations”, which promise to provide diplomatic services, are being used to try to silence Chinese dissidents in Europe.
A spokeswoman for the Dutch foreign ministry said the existence of the unofficial police outposts was illegal. The Chinese foreign ministry has rejected the Dutch allegations. The investigation was sparked by a report entitled Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild, by Spain
The Dutch government is concerned about allegations China has set up police stations in the country to pursue Chinese dissidents. The units were ostensibly created to tackle transnational crime and conduct administrative duties, such as the renewal of Chinese driver’s licenses.
But according to Safeguard Defenders, in reality, they carry out “persuasion operations”, aimed at coercing those suspected of speaking out against the Chinese regime to return home.
The Chinese government has been accused of setting up illegal police stations in the Netherlands, where Chinese nationals can pay bribes to get passports and visas. China’s overseas policing tactics are “problematic” as they target suspects without firmly establishing links to crime or adhering to due process in host countries, an advocacy group said on Wednesday.
The human rights organization Freedom House has accused China of establishing illegal police stations in the Netherlands to try and force Chinese dissidents back to mainland China. The findings are part of Freedom House’s annual report on internet freedom around the world, released on 3 September.