On September 12, human rights watchdog Safeguard Defenders published their latest report on the phenomenon of Chinese transnational policing.
The group revealed that over the past year, China had set up dozens of overseas “service stations” in order to police Chinese nationals living abroad, including three such facilities in Toronto.
According to the report, Beijing has been attempting to “combat the growing issue of fraud and telecommunication fraud by Chinese nationals living abroad,” with 230,000 being “persuaded to return” to China to face criminal charges between April 2021 and July 2022 alone.
On September 2, a new law was passed in China giving the government more authority when it comes to handling online fraud committed by Chinese citizens overseas. It is set to come into effect on December 1.
One way the government keeps tabs on citizens in other countries is via the aforementioned “service stations,” which are operated by either the Fuzhou or Qingtian Public Security Bureaus.
According to the report, as of September 2022, there are fifty-four such stations located in thirty countries.
While most nations have only one or two stations, Canada is unique in that it has three, all located in Toronto… read full article
