AMSTERDAM, Oct 26 (Reuters) – The Dutch government is investigating whether illegal bureaus operated on behalf of the Chinese government in the Netherlands, the country’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
According to a ministry spokesperson, an investigation was launched following a report by the RTL Nieuws television channel indicating that two of these offices carried out functions such as the remote renewal of Chinese citizens’ driving licenses. .
A September study by Safeguard Defenders, a Madrid-based rights group, found that Chinese police departments had established offices in 21 countries and operated them for political purposes abroad.
The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“We are currently investigating as a ministry what is happening with the centers, and when we have more information on this we can determine the appropriate action,” said Maxime Hovenkamp, spokesman for the Ministry of Affairs. foreign.
“What is correct is that the Chinese government never informed us of the existence of these centers through diplomatic channels, which makes them illegal from the start,” he added.
In an interview for RTL, Wang Jingyu, a Chinese dissident residing in the Netherlands, said that representatives of such an office in Rotterdam had sought to pressure him to return to China, as part of a campaign to wider harassment. (Reporting Toby Sterling; French version Dagmarah Mackos, editing by Kate Entringer)
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