Does China operate police stations in the US?

The Chinese government has established "clandestine Chinese Overseas Police Service Stations in major cities around the world," including New York and Los Angeles, according to an investigation by the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders. In total, the organization identified 102 stations operating in 53 countries.

Safeguard Defenders said the stations are being used to pressure Chinese nationals to return to China to face criminal charges. They were also linked to China's efforts to spread its influence and propaganda overseas.

In November, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a U.S. Senate committee: "I'm very concerned about this. We are aware of the existence of these stations.” He said the stations are unauthorized.

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Republican representing Wisconsin's 8th congressional district who chairs the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, has called for shutting down the stations.