On December 2, 2022, Safeguard Defenders reported that the Chinese Ministry of Public Security operated in more than 100 police stations worldwide for surveillance, harassment, and repatriation of exiled Chinese citizens through bilateral security arrangements made with European and African countries. The objective was to gain a broad international presence. After Safeguard Defenders first revealed the existence of 54 stations on September 12, 2022, 48 additional Chinese state-operated police stations were discovered globally. As of December 2022, the NGO identified four different Chinese local police jurisdictions as operating “overseas police service centers” in at least 53 countries. The Chinese government claimed such stations were set up for administrative tasks and as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Media reports questioned the weight of commercial considerations in host countries’ decision to accept, or turn a blind eye to, these stations.