How China’s police are ensnaring thousands of suspects abroad
Under Xi Jinping, the authorities have been extending their global reach
America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a web page called “The China Threat”. It is often updated with links to news about the bureau’s efforts to counter it. Top of the list is the FBI’s investigation of a Chinese balloon that was shot down by an American fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th. But if you look closely there are plenty of other startling areas of Chinese subterfuge and surveillance. Among the most surprising is China’s pursuit of fugitives beyond its borders. The scale of activity globally is now staggering—involving many thousands of alleged miscreants—and it is increasingly straining relations with the West.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “The long arm of the police”
From the February 18th 2023 edition
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