Netherlands investigating alleged unlicensed China government offices

The Dutch government is investigating whether unlicensed offices have been operating on behalf of the Chinese government in the Netherlands, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the ministry said it was investigating the matter, following a report by RTL Nieuws that found two such offices have carried out functions including remotely renewing Chinese citizens drivers' licences.

A September study by Madrid-based rights group Safeguard Defenders said Chinese police agencies had established offices in 21 countries and were using them to press political aims abroad.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"We are now investigating as a ministry what is going on with the centres, and when we have more intel about it we can determine the appropriate action," foreign ministry spokesperson Maxime Hovenkamp said.

"What is correct is that the Chinese government never informed us about the centres via diplomatic channels so that makes them illegal to begin with."

RTL interviewed Wang Jingyu, a Chinese dissident in the Netherlands, who said representatives from one such office in Rotterdam had sought to pressure him to return to China, as part of a wider harassment campaign.

(Reuters)