European nations are confronting China over a network of clandestine police stations operating illegally on sovereign soil, with France and Belgium delivering formal diplomatic protests in a dramatic escalation of tensions.
The covert operations, allegedly established to monitor and intimidate Chinese diaspora communities, have been discovered in Paris and other major European cities, sparking outrage among Western allies.
Diplomatic Firestorm Ignites
French and Belgian authorities have confirmed they've summoned Chinese diplomats to demand immediate explanations about these unauthorised police outposts. The French foreign ministry expressed "grave concern" about operations that "clearly violate national sovereignty and international law."
According to security analysts, these stations operate outside official diplomatic channels, allowing Beijing to extend its authoritarian reach directly into European communities while bypassing local law enforcement.
Transnational Repression Exposed
The alarming discovery forms part of a broader pattern of Chinese transnational repression targeting dissidents, activists, and ethnic minorities abroad. Human rights organisations have documented numerous cases where Chinese nationals living overseas face harassment, surveillance, and pressure to return home.
These operations represent a direct challenge to European sovereignty, with one security expert describing them as "an audacious attempt to export China's authoritarian governance model to democratic nations."
European Response Intensifies
Belgium has joined France in demanding China immediately cease all unauthorised police activities on European territory. The coordinated response signals growing European unity against what many perceive as Beijing's increasingly aggressive foreign operations.
European Parliament members are calling for emergency hearings and potential sanctions, while intelligence agencies across the continent are conducting urgent reviews of Chinese diplomatic activities within their borders.
The scandal threatens to further strain EU-China relations already tense over human rights concerns, trade disputes, and Beijing's stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
