Ottawa: Canadian police announced Tuesday that they are investigating reports of Chinese "police service stations" in the Greater Toronto Area as potential threats to national security and interference with Canadian interests.

After Safeguard Defenders, a human rights organization based in Europe, published a report in September that revealed the presence of dozens of Chinese police "service stations" in major cities around the world, Canada joined other countries, such as the United States. States and the Netherlands, in opening such investigations.

The station is a continuation of Beijing's efforts to persuade some Chinese citizens or their relatives living abroad to return to China to face criminal charges, reports Safeguard Defenders.

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Additionally, it linked him to the activities of China's United Front Work Department, a Communist Party organization responsible for spreading its propaganda and swaying overseas. China's claims have been denied.

The RCMP said in a statement that it aims to prevent harm from a foreign entity to any community in Canada, including threats, intimidation and harassment.

Toronto, Canada's most populous city and its financial centre, is located in the Greater Toronto Area. Inquiries for comment on Tuesday were not immediately responded to by the Chinese embassy in Ottawa.

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It has been previously stated that there are centers outside China that help Chinese citizens renew documents and provide other services that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic but are staffed by local volunteers rather than Chinese police officers. are being run.

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Although tensions between China and Canada have been high for some time, the diplomatic rift gained new attention recently when Chinese President Xi Jinping openly disclosed a conversation he had with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week in Bali. criticized. The talks were leaked after they were held on the sidelines of the G20 summit.