The Wenzhou Friendship Society claims it has helped thousands of new immigrants “integrate into the local community.”
The society released a statement clarifying its activities, saying it's not involved in any intelligence activity. This followed media reports claiming it was a Chinese “police station,” or “police service station” under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“To the best knowledge of the board of the directors (the 'Board') of the Society, neither the Society nor its members have engaged any security intelligence activities with Wenzhou Public Security Bureau of the People’s Republic of China,” the statement read. “The Board and the members of the Society will continue to work to achieve the purpose of the mandate of its Constitution in creating a safe and helpful networking platform for its members and new Chinese immigrants.”
They further state the society requires its members to abide by Canadian laws including “not participating in aiding foreign intelligence gathering activities.”
It has a code of conduct for its members that states anyone found to have committed such activities will be expelled from the society.
Its main purposes are to promote fellowship, promote and improve the "morals and virtuous behavior within our society," encourage social stability locally, promote world peace and do charitable work.
A Spanish human-rights organization, Safeguard Defenders, has claimed there are 104 Chinese “police stations” around the globe.
Furthermore, the Richmond RCMP confirmed in December that the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team was investigating an alleged Chinese “police station” in Richmond.
Such organizations operate under the guise of a Chinese police campaign to contain online fraud, according to Safeguard Defenders.
In fact, the so-called “service stations” were used by Chinese police to carry out “persuasion to return” operations where overseas Chinese nationals are intimidated or pressured to return to China to “face justice,” the report alleges.
On Friday, about 20 protesters gathered in front of the Wenzhou Friendship Society building on Hazelbridge Way, holding flags and signs with messages such as "No CCP interference in Canada."
One of the earlier mentions of “overseas police service stations” dates back to a Chinese state media report in 2019, which announced the Qingtian county police of Zhejiang Province had established an overseas police service centre in 2018 to provide “convenient” services.
The Chinese police claimed the services were related to passport renewal, police operations, collecting opinions from the diaspora community and spreading policy information. A team of 135 Qingtianese diasporas was apparently hired to lead the operations.
There have also been reports of the Chinese Communist Party allegedly trying to exert influence during the last federal election.
- with files from Vikki Hui
