Following the arrest of two Chinese nationals in New York on suspicion of links to Chinese security services, the Canadian government is investigating sites on Canadian soil that may have links.
In a statement shared with Newsweek, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spokesman Robin Percival said that “the RCMP is actively investigating national reports of offender activity in relation to so-called ‘police stations. ‘”
“As the RCMP is investigating the incident lately,” Percival added, “there will be no comment on this at this time. “
The comments came just over a month after the RCMP revealed that two suspicious sites related to Chinese security had been discovered in the Quebec cities of Montreal and Brossard.
Last December, Newsweek conducted an investigation into locations in the United States allegedly connected to China’s Ministry of Public Security. Newsweek also reported on other sites in more than 50 countries around the world, adding several in Canada, adding a Nantong Public Security Bureau service center at an unknown location, a Wenzhou Public Security Bureau service center in Vancouver, and three public centers in Fuzhou. The Office of Security addresses problems in Toronto, according to a report by the Spanish NGO Safeguard Defenders.
China has consistently denied the reports, while several countries on the list have opened investigations.
“The RCMP’s strong relationships with Canada’s safety and intelligence network and law enforcement agencies around the world,” Percival said, “and, in particular, works heavily with our Five Eyes partners to respond and know the status of all threats to national security. “
“The RCMP recognizes that Chinese Canadians are victims of the activity we are investigating. “”There will be no tolerance for this or any other form of intimidation, harassment or destructive attacks against diaspora communities or Americans in Canada. “
Chinese officials have denied characterizing the sites, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Tuesday condemned the U. S. resolution to arrest two Chinese nationals accused of acting as an agent of the Ministry of Public Security in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
“China firmly opposes the US slander and defamation, its political manipulation, the false narrative of ‘transnational repression’ and the brazen prosecution of Chinese law enforcement and cyber management officials,” Wang said in reaction to a message from Japanese media outlet Kyodo News. .
Wang also accused the United States of carrying out the same kind of illicit activities that Washington accused Beijing of.
“The United States has long suppressed dissent through covert surveillance, illegal wiretapping, global persecutions and behind-the-scenes dealings,” Wang said. “‘Transnational repression’ is an accusation that suits America’s own practices. “
“We urge the United States to reflect on itself,” he added, “to abandon its Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices, prevent actions without delay, prevent political manipulation, and prevent slander and attacks against China. “
The scope of U. S. intelligence collectionThe U. S. military’s concern, adding surveillance not only of adversaries, but also of allies and partners, was recently underscored through a major leak of Pentagon documents, by which a member of the U. S. Air Force National Guard was killed in the U. S. Air Force. The U. S. Navy was arrested last week.
A senior official in US President Joe Biden’s administration told Newsweek on Tuesday that “the United States government has made clear that we will use all available equipment to protect American citizens and other people of the United States from transnational repression and other bureaucracy of malign foreign influence. “
“We will tolerate the government of the People’s Republic of China, or any other foreign government, harassing or threatening American citizens,” the official added, referring to the People’s Republic of China.
Wang, for his part, doubled down on his denial that China conducted such activities at unauthorized law enforcement sites when asked a follow-up inquiry through another Japanese media outlet, NHK.
“The United States has established an evil agreement between Chinese service centers and Chinese diplomatic and consular officials and made baseless accusations against China,” Wang said. “This is obviously political manipulation. “
“With regard to ‘overseas police stations,’ we have clarified that the accusation has no factual basis,” he added. “There are simply no so-called ‘overseas police stations’. Internal affairs of other countries, strictly observes foreign legislation and respects the judicial sovereignty of all countries. We hope that the parties involved will not exaggerate or dramatize this.
Contacted for comment via Newsweek, Chinese embassy spokesman in Washington D. C. Liu Pengyu explained what he said was the true service of the sites in question, saying they “are trained through Chinese, drawing on the resources of local communities and offering a position for Chinese. “who wish to access recommendations and assistance”.
“The service is made up of warm local people who serve as volunteers,” Liu said. provide the service. “
“Providing an online service is a non-unusual practice identified and followed in countries around the world,” he added. they are necessarily acts of online self-service. judicial sovereignty of the receiving country. “
Japan, however, has been among the countries that have responded to reports of the establishment of unofficial police stations on its territory, as Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu commented at a press conference in December. At the time, he said Japan would “take all measures to explain the situation” and that China had been warned that any activity deemed contrary to Japanese sovereignty would be “unacceptable. “
Others have announced investigations, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Korea.
Canada-China have suffered in recent years along with deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington.
Canada has voiced its denunciation of alleged human rights abuses by the Chinese, adding to Hong Kong’s political prestige and remedy for the predominantly Muslim Uighur minority. Meanwhile, China has accused Canada of mistreating its own indigenous population and following the U. S. lead. Chinese policy, adding the arrest of Huawei’s top executive, Meng Wenzhou, on suspicion of violating U. S. sanctions. U. S. to Iran in December 2018.
Less than two weeks after their arrest, two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were arrested in China. The 3 were released in their respective countries in September 2021. The two Canadians attended Biden’s speech to Parliament in Ottawa last month, which the US leader did not mention China unless it was for a brief mistake.
Last month, a lawmaker from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ruling Liberal Party, Han Dong, resigned amid allegations that he urged Chinese diplomats in Canada to increase the detention of Kovrig and Spavor for political benefit of the opposition Conservative Party. Dong denied the allegations and said he intended to sue The Global and Mail newspaper over its reporting.
As the investigation into alleged Chinese police sites in Canada continues, the RCMP spokesperson said the force “takes threats to the safety and security of others living in Canada very seriously and is aware that foreign states may seek to intimidate or harm communities or Americans. “in Canada. “
“It is vital that all Americans and teams living in Canada, regardless of nationality,” Percival added, “know that mechanisms are in place to assist them in the event of potential foreign interference or state-sponsored harassment and intimidation. “