More than 100 Chinese overseas police stations present across the globe: A security threat

According to a human rights group based in Spain, Safeguard, re are over 100 Chinese Overseas Police Stations (COPS) operating in 53 countries across five continents. se stations, established by China-based Public Security Bureaus (PSBs), are responsible for information garing, influence operations, and repression activities targeting individuals such as criminals, fraudsters, corrupt officials, political opponents, and dissidents, including Tibetans, Uighurs, and anti-China voices abro.

COPS are often aided by local Chinese Overseas Home Associations linked to United Front Work Department (UFWD) to bring individuals back for furr investigation. Originally designed to serve overseas Chinese, COPS were branched out by PSBs amid COVID pandemic and rising anti-China sentiments that put a restraint on Fox Hunt operations aimed at persuing Chinese fugitives to return "voluntarily".

modus operandi of such operations varies from country to country, with few countries in Africa and South America, Myanmar and Cambodia, supporting such operations. presence of COPS has received backlash from countries such as US, Cana, Europe, Japan, and South Korea, leing to closure of a few stations. However, some developing countries choose to remain silent, possibly under Chinese ecomic and political clout.

In fact, US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) has alleged that Interpol was also hand-in-glove with Chinese on such operations. Similarly, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UDC) has also been used for such operations. scalability suggests that se operations must have support of central authorities in China, Inside Over reported.

While China claims to offer ministrative services to overseas Chinese and combat cross-border fraud as motives of COPS, ulterior motives, besides intelligence garing and policing include safeguarding Belt and Ro infrastructure projects and exerting cultural and racial influence on overseas Chinese Diaspora, Inside Over reported.

presence of COPS, spre over five continents, has received backlash from a host of countries mainly US, Cana, Europe, Japan and South Korea. As a consequence, few stations viz. Dublin (Ireland) and New York (US) have been closed down.

Some measures initiated by or governments include deliberation by European Parliament to include this topic in nda points of bilateral talks with China and a decision to establish a hotline to report threats related to issue.

However, some developing countries viz., Brazil, Argentina, Ecuor, Hungary and Nigeria choose to remain silent. re is a possibility that silence of some countries on issue under Chinese ecomic and political clout might embolden or Chinese provinces like Guangdong to establish similar police stations abro.

Recently, China's top legislative body- Standing Committee of National People's Congress (NPCSC)-proposed Foreign State's Immunity Law (FSIL) which would set out criteria for deciding circumstances in which a foreign government falls under China's legal jurisdiction.

Through this law, Beijing is looking at allowing foreign governments to be sued in Chinese courts. w, with so many foreign countries taking countermeasures against COPS, China can well utilize FSIL in vancing its operations, especially in countries that are t favourable.

international community must come toger and oppose such operations vehemently through widespre media attention and a tough stance. Beijing must be held accountable for overreaching its jurisdiction and intimidating its citizens even beyond its borders, opined ANI.

(with ANI inputs)