United Kingdom Instructs China To Close Secret Police Stations On British Soil

The government of the United Kingdom have reportedly instructed  China to close its secret police stations which have been operational on British soil.

This statement was confirmed by the  Security Minister Tom Tugendhat to parliament on Tuesday.

The Foreign Office “told the Chinese Embassy that any functions related to such ‘police service stations’ in the UK are unacceptable and that they must not operate in any form,” a written statement said.

The embassy “responded that all such stations have closed permanently”, it added, according to India Times.

Britain previously said reports of undeclared police stations in the country were “extremely concerning” and that any intimidation on British soil of foreign nationals by China or other states was unacceptable.

British police have investigated claims made by the non-governmental human rights organisation ‘Safeguard Defenders’ that such police stations were operating at three British sites, Tugendhat said in a written statement to parliament.

“I can confirm that they have not, to date, identified any evidence of illegal activity on behalf of the Chinese state across these sites,” he said.

“We assess that police and public scrutiny have had a suppressive impact on any administrative functions these sites may have had.”

U.S. federal agents arrested two New York residents in April for allegedly operating a Chinese “secret police station” in the Chinatown district of Manhattan. China had said it firmly opposed what it called “the US’s slanders and smears.”

The British government has said it was aware of about 100 such stations around the world.

The Chinese government has previously said there are centres outside China run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, that aim to help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services.

According to Tugendhat,  the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office had told the Chinese Embassy that any functions related to such ‘police service stations’ in the UK were unacceptable and that they must not operate in any form.