Secret Chinese ‘police stations’ to be investigated around Britain

LONDON — The British government will step up work to prevent “transnational repression” as police investigate reports of undeclared Chinese “police stations” around the country, the U.K. security minister said.

The Chinese government has reportedly set up undeclared “police stations” in three U.K. locations — two in London, in Hendon and Croydon, and one in Glasgow — to harass political dissidents. Beijing has also reportedly established similar centers in other European countries, including Ireland and the Netherlands.

Speaking in the House of Commons Tuesday, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said such activities “must be stopped,” stressing it would be “unacceptable” for any foreign government to attempt to operate a security apparatus upon U.K. shores.

“Reports of undeclared police stations in the United Kingdom are of course extremely concerning and will be taken very seriously. Any foreign country operating in United Kingdom soil must abide by U.K. law,” he said. “Any attempts to illegally repatriate any individual will not be tolerated.”

Chinese officials have not denied the existence of such facilities, but say they exist purely to provide bureaucratic services to Chinese citizens and do not involve police operations.

One of the two alleged police stations in London is registered as an estate agency, while the venue in Glasgow is a Chinese restaurant.

Tugendhat said the upcoming National Security Bill, currently being scrutinized in the Commons, will strengthen the U.K. government’s powers to deal with “transnational repression, coercion, harassment or intimidation linked to a foreign power.”

“It is clear that we can and must do more. I have therefore asked officials to step up the work to ensure that our approach to transnational repression is robust and I have asked our department to review our approach to transnational repression as a matter of urgency,” Tugendhat added.

Spanish civil rights group Safeguard Defenders claims that Chinese police forces have been running “overseas police service stations” in “dozens of countries” across five continents since 2018.