Human rights NGO Safeguard Defenders issued a stark warning on China's use of consular agents, particularly in Belgium, shedding light on potential violations of international conventions.
The organisation had initially exposed the presence of informal Chinese police offices in major Western cities in September 2022, raising concerns about possible extraterritorial practices by Beijing.
Subsequent investigations in the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Germany, and Ireland, triggered by Safeguard Defenders' revelations, resulted in the closure of several of these offices. However, the latest report, released on 21 November, delves deeper into China's use of consular volunteers in Belgium and worldwide.
In the report, Laura Harth, Campaign Director of Safeguard Defender, states that this consular volunteer system has been operational for at least a decade, largely unknown to host countries. Harth points out that a State Council decree in the People's Republic of China (PRC), effective from 1 September 2023, officially formalises the establishment of these consular volunteer networks.
Chung Ching Kwong, co-author of the report, connects the consular network to associations and individuals linked to the United Front, indicating the involvement of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO). The Federal Court of Canada confirmed the OCAO's engagement in espionage activities against Canada's interests in January 2022, raising concerns about its interactions with overseas Chinese communities and the collection of sensitive information.
'Consular Protection of Overseas Chinese'
The report ties these activities to the Chinese Communist Party's use of the United Front Work Department (DTFU) for foreign interference, as previously highlighted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in June 2020. ASPI detailed China's strategic influence on global Chinese communities to suppress dissent and infiltrate foreign entities, including political parties, universities, and corporations.
Belgium has not been immune to these practices, with Chinese news agency Xinhua revealing the initiation of a voluntary consular liaison mechanism by the Chinese embassy in Belgium as early as 2013.
The Volunteer Group for the Consular Protection of Overseas Chinese in Belgium was inaugurated in 2017, involving more than 70 consular protection volunteers from various Chinese expatriate groups, Chinese-funded companies, and local university federations.
While some may perceive these volunteers as assisting Chinese citizens abroad with routine matters, Safeguard Defenders emphasises that the consolidation of United Front networks through consular assistance could provide broad access to private data, addresses, and contact information. Harth warns that such an approach may dangerously strengthen the Chinese government's ability to control communities and dissidents abroad.
In the report, Chung Ching Kwon underscores China's politicisation of the issuance of official documents, using them as instruments of control and pressure on Chinese citizens abroad. Despite lacking payment and diplomatic immunity, Safeguard Defenders argues that adherence to the legal framework outlined in the Vienna Convention is crucial, as overlooking minor breaches may legitimise parallel structures with distinct "Chinese characteristics."
According to Safeguard Defenders, Beijing allegedly operates a mostly undeclared network of associations and individuals in several countries, including Italy, to control the diaspora and dissidents. The consular volunteer networks resemble the "shadow Chinese police stations" scrutinised by Western governments in recent months. In May, G-7 leaders signed a declaration explicitly calling on China to respect the Vienna Conventions on consular relations, highlighting the recurring global concern.
The Chinese State Council formalised the establishment of such networks in early September, just a few months after the G-7’s calls. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has pledged to "personally monitor" the matter and has not ruled out sanctions in case of illegal practices, emphasising the international significance of addressing this issue.
