From Europe to Africa, China has opened up secret “overseas police service centres” in Chinese restaurants and shops across the world.

Dutch media found evidence that the “overseas service stations”, which promise to provide diplomatic services, are being used to try to silence Chinese dissidents in Europe.

The Chinese Communist Party runs 54 police centres across five continents and 21 countries with 36 in Europe, including nine in Spain and four in Italy and two in the UK.

The units were ostensibly created to tackle transnational crime and conduct administrative duties, such as the renewal of Chinese drivers’ licences but in reality they carry out “persuasion operations”, aimed at coercing those suspected of speaking out against the Chinese regime to return home.

Police outposts like the ones China is violates the territorial integrity of a host country by circumventing national jurisdictions and the protections afforded under domestic law.