China accuses Canada of sullying its reputation with police stations | Canada-China Relations

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.

China on Friday accused Canada of smearing its reputation over allegations that the country is secretly operating two overseas police stations in Quebec.

At a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Canada should stop sensationalizing and hype on the issue and stop attacks and slander against China.

She added that the latter had strictly respected international law and the judicial sovereignty of all countries.

The door -speech did not comment on the existence of the police stations and did not say whether they were operated by Chinese government authorities.

Sergeant Charles Poirier, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said Thursday that Chinese Canadians have been victims of activities carried out by the stations.

He stressed that Canada will not tolerate any form of intimidation, harassment or harmful targeting of communities or people in the diaspora in Canada, adding that the RCMP's Integrated National Security Team had opened investigations into the alleged police stations in Montreal and Brossard.

Spanish human rights organization Safeguard Defenders says China has dozens of such stations around the world, including three in the Greater Toronto Area.

In a report published last September, she said the stations were used to harass, threaten, intimidate and force targets to return to China for persecution.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously described these overseas posts as service posts for Chinese people who are overseas and need help with bureaucratic tasks, such as renewing their permits. to drive Chinese.

These citizen services are normally provided by an embassy or consulate.

Beijing has launched two campaigns to bring suspects wanted, mostly for economic crimes, back to China, but has ensured that its agents abroad act in accordance with international law. US authorities have clarified that this has not always been the case.

Police stations have fueled global concerns that the Chinese Communist Party seeks to control its citizens abroad, often using threats against their families and their safety.

These methods would also allow them to undermine the democratic institutions of other nations while gathering economic and political intelligence.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly indicated Thursday that the concerns regarding foreign interference were behind Canada's refusal to issue a diplomatic visa to a political operative for China last fall.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly during her appearance before a parliamentary committee looking into allegations of Chinese interference in the last two elections. (File photo)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the presence of Chinese police stations in Canada is a source of concern for the federal government.

“We have been aware of the [presence of] Chinese police stations across the country for several months, and we ensure that the RCMP is following up and that our intelligence services are taking the situation seriously.

— Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

China-Canada relations took a sharp turn in 2018, after China imprisoned two Canadians on alleged false charges .

The event took place shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of tech giant Huawei and daughter of the company's founder, on a request for extradition from the United States.

The two Canadians were deported to Canada in 2021, the same day Ms. Meng returned to China after reaching an agreement in her case with US authorities.