In a letter to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Christopher Wray, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) highlighted reports concerning alleged “illegal (CCP)police operations on American soil” committed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The report was originally produced by Safeguard Defenders, a non-governmental organization (NGO). Their report includes the United States as one of 53 countries with operating police forces run by the CCP.
“These extraterritorial police actions by the CCP violate United States sovereignty and pose a grave threat to our national security. I ask that you notify state and local law enforcement agencies of the presence of these rogue operations by CCP-affiliated groups in our country,” writes Sen. Scott.
The CCP has denied the report. In November of 2022 they told CNN that “We hope that relevant parties stop hyping it up to create tensions. Using this as a pretext to smear China is unacceptable.” The Chinese government is stating that the “administrative hubs” are designed to help those who live outside China’s borders do things such as renew their driver’s licenses.
Sen. Scott thinks the CCP has other motives.
“Safeguard Defenders revealed shocking evidence of Communist China carrying out illegal, transnational policing operations across 53 countries, including the United States, targeting overseas critics of the CCP for harassment, threats against their families in China and ‘persuasion’ to get them to return home,” added Scott.
Scott also believes that these organizations are a great threat to America. With China already under a heavy microscope as a threat to national security because of issues such as their involvement with the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, as well as a plethora of other risks, the Florida Senator is not giving the CCP the benefit of the doubt.
“These extraterritorial police actions by the CCP violate United States sovereignty and pose a grave threat to our national security. I ask that you notify state and local law enforcement agencies of the presence of these rogue operations by CCP-affiliated groups in our country…The American people deserve full transparency from their government. I appreciate your attention to this important matter,” concluded Scott.
The initial report surfaced in early December.
