China launches police station in New York City: report

The People's Republic of China has established an "overseas police service station" in New York City to monitor Chinese nationals in the United States, according to a human rights group.

Watchdog group Safeguard Defenders asserted that Beijing had established "110 overseas stations" to monitor its citizens abroad, per the New York Post. A total of 54 are police stations, most of which exist in Europe.

Ostensibly, these facilities were largely created to handle administrative issues for Chinese citizens while outside of the country. However, the report also noted that Chinese authorities had induced 230,000 Chinese nationals to "voluntarily" return to the country and face criminal proceedings.

The practical legal authority of these offices to operate within other countries is unclear and likely differs by country. News of the establishment of an operation in New York City comes amid intensifying animosity between Beijing and Washington over Chinese claims to the Taiwan.