China’s envoy called before minister multiple times to explain ‘police station’ allegations | 24CA News
China’s ambassador to Canada has been summoned a number of occasions to seem earlier than Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly to answer allegations that his nation is working “police stations” in Canada tasked with cracking down on Chinese dissidents.
“We’ve had several engagements, we’ve called the ambassador in on multiple occasions and we have conveyed our deep concern,” Weldon Epp, director basic for North East Asia at Global Affairs Canada, informed the House of Commons Canada-China committee Tuesday.
“The Government of Canada has formally insisted that the Chinese government take account for — including the ambassador and his embassy — for any activities within Canada that fall outside of the Vienna Conventions and account for those [and] ensure that they cease and desist.”
Epp mentioned Global Affairs Canada and Joly will make choices and maintain additional conferences with the envoy, relying on how China responds to the allegations.
His feedback got here after the Spain-based human rights group Safeguard Defenders issued a report earlier this fall that mentioned China has established not less than 54 “so-called police stations” worldwide, together with three within the Greater Toronto Area in predominantly Chinese communities.
According to the group, Chinese officers overseas have been pressuring some Chinese residents to return to China to face expenses of fraud and different crimes. The Safeguard Defenders report says that in many of the instances, Chinese officers focused “dissidents or individuals that had fled religious and/or ethnic persecution.”
The report says individuals who refused to return to China have seen their relations nonetheless residing in China focused by the state with threats to chop off energy and water provides, or to disclaim entry to schooling.
RCMP investigating
In Canada, the report says, these “police stations” embrace a residential dwelling and single-storey industrial constructing in Markham, Ont., and a comfort retailer in Scarborough, Ont.
”In most countries, we believe it’s a network of individuals, rather than … a physical police station where people will be dragged into,” mentioned Laura Harth, a marketing campaign director at Safeguard Defenders.
“It’s completely illegal under international law. It’s a severe violation of territorial sovereignty.”
The RCMP informed 24CA News in a media assertion that it’s “investigating reports of criminal activity in relation to the so-called ‘police’ stations.”
The RCMP additionally mentioned it takes “threats to the security of individuals living in Canada very seriously and is aware that foreign states may seek to intimidate or harm communities or individuals within Canada.”
Embassy dismisses allegations
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met briefly with Chinese President Xi Jinping through the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia final month. He mentioned he raised considerations with Xi about “interference activities in Canada,” together with the alleged police stations.
In a press release to CBC in response to questions on these stations, the Chinese embassy mentioned native authorities in Fujian, China arrange a web-based service platform to help Chinese nationals overseas.
“Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, many overseas Chinese citizens are not able to return to China in time for their Chinese driver’s licence renewal and other services,” says the assertion.
“For services such as driver’s licence renewal, it is necessary to have eyesight, hearing and physical examination. The main purpose of the service station abroad is to provide free assistance to overseas Chinese citizens in this regard.”
The embassy mentioned these abroad “service stations” are staffed by volunteers who’re “not Chinese police officers” and are “not involved in any criminal investigation or relevant activity.”
