China has dismissed allegations that it has set up covert police stations around the world. Since September, a rights group called Safeguard Defenders has published two reports, claiming there are over a hundred of these outposts in 53 countries.

Safeguard Defenders has claimed that China is using these police stations to target Chinese nationals living abroad, including pressing some to return home to face criminal charges. But China said the facilities are volunteer-run centres that help citizens with renewing passports and other services that were disrupted during

the pandemic.