Two more covert Chinese police stations reportedly operating in Montreal

Are we living in Canada or Chinada? That’s what many Canucks must be wondering these days given that recent media reports note that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has confirmed that it is investigating the Service de la famille Chinoise du Grand Montréal in Montreal's Chinatown and the Centre Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud, in the municipality of Brossard.

It is alleged that both venues are harbouring covert Chinese police stations.

Indeed, a RCMP spokesperson issued a statement noting that investigators are taking steps to "detect and disrupt these criminal activities supported by a foreign state that could also threaten the safety of people living in Canada.”

It’s deja vu all over again!

Last summer, we reported on three Chinese police stations that are allegedly operating in the Greater Toronto Area. The RCMP say the matter is under investigation and cannot provide further comments.

Granted, we all know that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has admiration in his heart for the basic dictatorship that is China in terms of getting things done.

But having Chinese police operate in our nation? This is getting ridiculous. Indeed, according to a report by Safeguard Defenders, a human rights watchdog, China has actually opened dozens of overseas police service stations around the globe to monitor its citizens living abroad.

Safeguard Defenders notes in a report that: “These operations eschew official bilateral police and judicial cooperation and violate the international rule of law, and may violate the territorial integrity in third countries involved in setting up a parallel policing mechanism using illegal methods.”

The ostensible policy reason for these police stations operating on Canadian soil is to give China extra tools to combat fraud by its citizens living abroad.

Allegedly, these police forces have been responsible for “persuading” more than 200,000 Chinese nationals the world over to “voluntarily” return to China to face criminal prosecution.

The report also argues that the stations have been used to enhance China’s overseas law enforcement capabilities in possible violation of international law. However, the group notes that there has been potential human rights abuses, including using harassment and intimidation methods against detainees.

We recently paid another visit to the Markham, Ont.-based Canada Toronto Fuqing Business Association, which is allegedly accommodating Chinese police officers.

Yet again, no one answered the phone nor did anyone come to the door. But really, what’s going on here?

With Chinese police stations allegedly operating in Canada and the government of China allegedly interfering in Canadian elections, one must wonder: who’s calling the shots these days in Canada? Elected members of Parliament in Ottawa — or the Chinese Communist Party mandarins in Beijing?