“Mafia combined with KGB,” Congress, FBI investigate ‘secret’ Chinese police stations in U.S.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - New York U.S. Attorney Breon Peace says the U.S. government will not allow Chinese agents to enforce the will of a foreign government in the United States.
“The defendants worked together to establish an overseas police station in Manhattan’s Chinatown. On behalf of the Fujo branch of the Chinese government’s national police force,” Peace said at a Tuesday press conference announcing the arrest of two alleged Chinese agents.
The Chinese government has said these stations help Chinese citizens abroad accomplish tasks like renewing drivers licenses, but Select Committee on China Chairman Mike Ghallager said the offices also utilize dark methods to silence anti-Chinese government speech.
“It’s like the CCP going to dissident community members and saying ‘hey nice family you got here, it would be a shame if anything happened to them.,” Gallagher said. “It’s mafia combined with KGB stuff.”
The non-profit group Safeguard Defenders published a report on the Chinese governments efforts to repress speech, and said the primary tactic is threatening family members, but it can escalate.
“There are other examples of people being effectively kidnapped and brought back to China,” Safeguard Defenders Campaign Director Laura Harth said.
Safeguard Defenders says there are more 110 of these stations in more than 50 countries and claim Chinese efforts to control the narrative about its government reach beyond just Chinese citizens.
“Even if it’s a second or third generation citizen, right, someone who’s born in the U.S. for example and has never even been to China, but just because you come from that kind of heritage, you are still considered, in the eyes of the CCP Chinese,” Harth said.
Safeguard Defenders said there are additional stations operating within the U.S. Gallagher said there are likely more stations in the U.S. authorities have yet to find.
The Chinese embassy did not respond to our request for comment.
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