Chinese police stations in the Netherlands ordered to close immediately

The Chinese police stations in the Netherlands, which were established without the knowledge of the Dutch government, must immediately close their doors, said Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra on Tuesday. He said he finds those secret police stations to be "unacceptable."

Recent research carried out by RTL and Follow the Money showed that there are strong indications that the "service stations" are additionally used to monitor Chinese people in the Netherlands, and possibly put pressure on those who are critical of China. It is not just about arranging administrative matters for Chinese people residing in the Netherlands, such as renewing driving licenses.

Hoekstra will investigate "exactly" what activities took place in those Chinese offices, and pledged to leave no stone unturned. The minister informed the Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands of his decision on Monday, after summoning him to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What is known for certain is that consular matters were handled from the Chinese offices, said Hoekstra.

"You have to ask permission from the host country, in this case the Netherlands, for that, and that has not happened." That alone is reason enough for the minister to order the immediate closure of the offices. Hoekstra does not know if the offices are actually closed yet. The oral order to do so was confirmed in writing on Tuesday, the minister said. "We have been clear about what we think about it, that we want to get to the bottom of this and that the whole thing must be closed immediately."

Hoekstra wants to raise the issue of secret Chinese offices with European leaders, because the Dutch situation is not an isolated one, he said. "Other countries also have to deal with the same or something similar. That requires allies to consult among each other."