FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed the bureau is investigating the Chinese government’s efforts to set up police stations in the United States, saying he was “very concerned” about Beijing’s “outrageous” transnational repression schemes, the Washington Examiner reports.
Investigations in the U.S. and in Europe, Canada, and elsewhere were spurred by Safeguard Defenders, a nonprofit organization, releasing a report on “Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild,” with the Spain-based human rights advocacy group saying 54 overseas Chinese police service stations operating in 30 countries across five continents had been uncovered by the group so far, including in New York City.
Wray was grilled about the Chinese efforts by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) during a Senate hearing Thursday, with the FBI director pointing the finger at Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“Like you, I’m very concerned about this,” Wray said. “We are aware of the existence of these stations. I have to be careful about discussing our specific investigative work, but to me, it is outrageous to think that the Chinese police would attempt to set up shop, you know, in New York, let’s say, without proper coordination. It violates sovereignty and circumvents standard judicial law enforcement cooperation processes.”
Wray added: “The reason this is so important is because we have seen a clear pattern of the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party, exporting their repression right here into the U.S., and we’ve had now a number of indictments that you may have seen of the Chinese engaging in uncoordinated quote-unquote ‘law enforcement’ action right here in the United States, harassing, stalking, surveilling, blackmailing people who they just don’t like or who disagree with the Xi regime. And so it’s a real problem, and it’s something that we’re talking to our foreign partners about as well.”
Scott asked the FBI director if the Chinese police stations had the right to operate in the U.S., but Wray didn’t answer directly.
“Well, we’re looking into the legal parameters of it, so I want to be a little bit careful not to get out over my skis on that,” Wray said. “But suffice it to say, I can tell you from an FBI director perspective, I’m deeply concerned about this, and I’m not just gonna let it lie.”
{Matzav.com}
It’s a confusing article. They’re called “police stations” but what authority can they have? Are these “police stations” just watered-down or informal consulates?
No, unlike a consulate, they are likely not there to help anyone. Based on this article it sounds more like communist repression be exported to the expatriate Chinese community.
Chris Wray should concentrate on sticking it to the Israelis. He must make the IDF look bad. He must continue his one sided “investigation” into a female dog terrorists death.