Report accuses China of keeping police officers in Brazil and other countries

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A report produced by Safeguard Defenders caused worldwide noise by accusing China of maintaining illegal police stations in dozens of countries, including Brazil (in Rio and São Paulo). The Spain-based civil rights organization says police officers in Fuzhou and Qingtian have opened “overseas service centers” in 25 cities in 21 countries.

The document claims they are used to monitor, arrest and deport Chinese expatriates and dissidents from the regime. Between April 2021 and July this year, 230,000 Chinese would have been “persuaded to return” to the Asian country due to the actions of these agents.

“This campaign, which began on a modest scale in 2018, has led to the establishment of overseas Chinese police ‘service stations’, sometimes called 110 Overseas, a reference to the national police emergency number,” the report says.

Safeguard Defenders says the posts implemented a tactic developed by China’s Ministry of Public Security with the National Oversight Commission. The modus operandi would involve intimidation, harassment, arrest of relatives of targets in China, as well as online approach or deployment of agents to pursue people abroad.

Authorities in several countries reacted to the accusations.

• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police opened an investigation into “criminal activities promoted by alleged clandestine Chinese police stations”;

• The Dutch Foreign Ministry said the complaint was “deeply concerned” and that the Dutch government will open an inquiry into the matter;

• Portugal, the UK, Ireland and Spain are also checking the allegations.

So far, only the Chinese embassies in Canada and the United Kingdom have commented on the matter.

• They denied that the facilities function as police stations, but as “service stations” to provide consular assistance to Chinese overseas and prevented from returning due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Chinese diplomatic officials said staff at these facilities are volunteers, not police.

THE Sheet contacted the Chinese embassy in Brazil and the Itamaraty. There has been no response from either party as of the completion of this issue.

why it matters: The Safeguard Defenders report is yet another indictment of China’s illegal police activity abroad. If confirmed, the allegations would violate international law and could send Beijing into a global diplomatic storm.

what also matters

Hundreds of workers at Foxconn, which makes iPhones in China, were seen fleeing the facility on foot after a Covid outbreak in Zhengzhou, Henan province. Only on Wednesday (2), the city recorded 167 cases of the disease.

Videos posted on social media show employees jumping over fences and walking along roads near the factory complex carrying suitcases, while volunteers from nearby villages distribute food and drinks to some of them. Local media claims that there were employees who were in quarantine. At least 200,000 people work there.

Nearby towns fear the mass flight will spread the disease beyond Zhengzhou’s borders. Foxconn says it has no way of banning employees from leaving, but it will offer a quadruple daily bonus to anyone who decides to stay.

The Chinese market reacted positively to the leak of an alleged memorandum establishing a “Reopening Committee” headed by Wang Huning, a member of the new Standing Committee of the Chinese Politburo.

The apocryphal note gained credibility after being reproduced on the networks by Hong Hao, a well-known market analyst in Hong Kong. The text says that the committee will review the Covid data and design a plan that allows the country to reopen in March.

The government does not confirm the information. At a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijan said he had no information about the agency. The CSI 300, which brings together the top 300 companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, rose 3.6% on the news, while shares of Chinese firms on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Hang Seng Index) jumped 2.6%.

keep an eye

After signals from Xi Jinping, who last week declared his willingness to resume cooperation with the United States, Chinese and American delegations began working to facilitate a meeting between the Chinese leader and President Joe Biden.

According to US national security spokesman John Kirby, officials are exploring “various modalities” for the meeting, which will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two governors since the Democrat’s election. The deadline for organizing the meeting will be short, as the G20 is scheduled to start on the 15th of November.

why it matters: both governments are hoping for a smoother and more purposeful meeting, as neither Biden nor Xi will need to take a stand due to the domestic agenda.

With the reappointment of the Chinese leader guaranteed and the end of the midterm elections for Biden, perhaps there is room for a more pragmatic dialogue between the countries.

to go deep

• The Orientalism Project, from UERJ, launched the book “Chinese in Brazil, Brazilians in China: Trajectories in Movement”, which analyzes problems related to migration and the transit of Chinese and Brazilians between their countries. The work is available for download here. (free, in Portuguese)
• Applications for the Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral Scholarship Program in China are now open. In Brazil, interested parties need to gather the necessary documents and send them to the Chinese embassy, ​​responsible for the selection. Those who pass the selection process are exempt from college fees and receive airline tickets and help to defray expenses during their studies. Information here. (free)
• Academy of Contemporary Studies on China and the World invited Brazilian academics to analyze the changes brought about by the Congress of the Communist Party, in particular the impact for developing nations. (free, in Chinese)