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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. 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. 

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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

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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.”

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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)

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