The UK government has ordered China to shut down secret police stations operating on British soil, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat says in a written statement to parliament.
Britain has 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 on Tuesday.
“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.”
US federal agents arrested two New York residents in April for allegedly operating a secret Chinese police station in the Chinatown district of Manhattan.
The British government has said it was aware of about 100 such stations around the world.
Credit: aljazeera.com
