Days after opposition parties opened up a front, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that two agencies will probe the allegations of Chinese interference in the country's elections.

Days after opposition parties opened up a front, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that two agencies will probe the allegations of Chinese interference in the country's elections. According to Trudeau, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) will probe the matter. However, he added the caveat that neither of the investigations will be public. While NSICOP will look into the election interference angle, NSIRA will assess how Canada's security agencies responded to the allegations and handled foreign interference. Trudeau also announced the appointment of an Independent Special Rapporteur to probe classified reports about Chinese muddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. "I will be appointing an independent special rapporteur, who will have a wide mandate and make expert recommendations on combating interference and strengthening our democracy," Trudeau told reporters in Parliament Hil, Ottawa. WATCH | Gravitas | On Camera: Xi Jinping confronts Justin Trudeau Opposition parties demand public inquiry Notably, last week, Canada's opposition parties pressured the Trudeau government to open a public inquiry into alleged election interference by China. "We want to know exactly what the Chinese authoritarian government did, and whether there were political parties aware of those actions or not,” said Pierre Poilievre, Conservative party leader. Even after the announcement on Monday, the New Democrats criticised the NSICOP committee probe saying it was no substitute to a 'public inquiry'. "The way to stop foreign actors from acting in secret is to refuse to keep their secrets," said Peter Julian, New Democrat MP. Read more: 'We want to know': Canada's opposition parties call for inquiry into Chinese interference in elections Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy has refuted all the claims about election interference. “We are not interested in meddling with Canada’s internal affairs, nor have we ever tried to do so,” it said in an email. Tensions between the two countries reached a tipping point when Trudeau was given a dressing down by Chinese President Xi Jinping in front of cameras at the G20 summit in Indonesia last year. Xi scolded Trudeau for leaking details of a meeting where the Canadian prime minister brought up the issue of China interfering in Canada's affairs. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Trudeau launches probe into Chinese interference in polls after receiving stick from opposition

A CNN report says that China has opened over 100 "overseas police stations" across the globe aimed at monitoring, harassing and even repatriating Chinese citizens living in exile. Madrid-based human rights campaigner Safeguard Defenders had revealed in September that 54 such stations exist worldwide. Now in a new report the group says that it has evidence that China was operating 48 additional police stations.&nbsp;

The report, called “Patrol and Persuade”, further says that China has struck bilateral security arrangements with some European and African countries to gain a widespread presence internationally.&nbsp;

The group's report focusses on the scale of the network and the role the joint policing initiatives between China and several European nations have played to help the spread of Chinese overseas stations. The countries in question include Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Romania.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/report-china-has-opened-illegal-police-stations-in-several-countries-across-the-world-521517">China has opened illegal police stations in several countries across the world: Report</a>

The group claims that operatives working undercover in Paris forced a Chinese citizen to return home. Earlier, two other Chinese exiles were also forced to return home from Serbia and Spain.&nbsp;

Safeguard Defenders says it has identified four different police jurisdictions of China’s Ministry of Public Security active across at least 53 countries. These stations attend to the needs of expatriates from those parts of China.&nbsp;

Beijing has dismissed all reports of such police stations being run abroad. It told CNN last month, "We hope that relevant parties stop hyping it up to create tensions. Using this as a pretext to smear China is unacceptable.”

China claims that these centers are administrative hubs tasked with helping Chinese expatriates renew documentation. It also said that these centers were opened to help citizens stuck in other countries following the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as per the report, these centers predate the pandemic by several years.&nbsp;

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Responding to Safeguard Defenders’ original allegations, China had said that these centers are staffed by volunteers. However, the group's report now says that one of its police networks hired 135 people for its first 21 stations.

Investigations were launched &nbsp;in at least 13 different countries after reports on the operation of these police stations first came out. Tensions between China and countries like Canada have also flared.&nbsp;

While China isn't the only country to have employed extrajudicial means to reach targets for law enforcement or for political persecution, the timing of the report hurts the nation already going through turmoil at home. People have been protesting the country's zero-Covid policy and demanding curbs to be loosened even as case numbers have been continuously increasing.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A CNN report says that China has opened over 100 "overseas police stations" across the globe aimed at monitoring, harassing and even repatriating Chinese citizens living in exile.

A CNN report says that China has opened over 100 "overseas police stations" across the globe aimed at monitoring, harassing and even repatriating Chinese citizens living in exile. Madrid-based human rights campaigner Safeguard Defenders had revealed in September that 54 such stations exist worldwide. Now in a new report the group says that it has evidence that China was operating 48 additional police stations. The report, called “Patrol and Persuade”, further says that China has struck bilateral security arrangements with some European and African countries to gain a widespread presence internationally. The group's report focusses on the scale of the network and the role the joint policing initiatives between China and several European nations have played to help the spread of Chinese overseas stations. The countries in question include Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Romania. Also Read | China has opened illegal police stations in several countries across the world: Report The group claims that operatives working undercover in Paris forced a Chinese citizen to return home. Earlier, two other Chinese exiles were also forced to return home from Serbia and Spain. Safeguard Defenders says it has identified four different police jurisdictions of China’s Ministry of Public Security active across at least 53 countries. These stations attend to the needs of expatriates from those parts of China. Beijing has dismissed all reports of such police stations being run abroad. It told CNN last month, "We hope that relevant parties stop hyping it up to create tensions. Using this as a pretext to smear China is unacceptable.” China claims that these centers are administrative hubs tasked with helping Chinese expatriates renew documentation. It also said that these centers were opened to help citizens stuck in other countries following the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as per the report, these centers predate the pandemic by several years. × Responding to Safeguard Defenders’ original allegations, China had said that these centers are staffed by volunteers. However, the group's report now says that one of its police networks hired 135 people for its first 21 stations. Investigations were launched in at least 13 different countries after reports on the operation of these police stations first came out. Tensions between China and countries like Canada have also flared. While China isn't the only country to have employed extrajudicial means to reach targets for law enforcement or for political persecution, the timing of the report hurts the nation already going through turmoil at home. People have been protesting the country's zero-Covid policy and demanding curbs to be loosened even as case numbers have been continuously increasing. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

China operating over 100 police stations in foreign countries, report says

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Trudeau launches probe into Chinese interference in polls after receiving stick from opposition

China operating over 100 police stations in foreign countries, report says