Congressional Republicans are targeting Chinese police stations operating in the U.S. with new legislation designed to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign influence operations.
Representative Ashley Hinson (R., Iowa) introduced legislation Friday to impose financial punishments on the secret Chinese police stations, which operate under the guise of providing bureaucratic services to Chinese citizens living abroad but actually act as the enforcement arm of the CCP overseas. The bill would also bolster the legal options available for prosecuting individuals engaging in Chinese intelligence activities, National Review has learned.
“The Chinese Communist Party should have never been able to operate police stations in the U.S. to surveil American citizens and harass Chinese citizens who have fled the Communist regime,” Hinson said.
“We should find, prosecute, and sanction any Chinese Communist Party official involved in standing up police stations on U.S. soil. Senator Tom Cotton and I are working to end these illegal intimidation tactics that undermine U.S. sovereignty and finally hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for such egregious violations.”
The Expel Illegal Chinese Police Act would impose sanctions, asset freezes, and visa restrictions on the individuals and entities operating the Chinese police stations. It would similarly penalize those acting under orders from the United Front Work Department, the branch of the CCP that carries out global influence schemes through coercion and targeted harassment.
Hinson’s Expel Illegal Chinese Police Act serves as a companion to legislation introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) in January, as NR previously reported. Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is one of the GOP’s leading national security hawks and a staunch critic of the CCP.
“No foreign government has the right to operate secret police stations on American soil. The Chinese Communist Party’s actions undermine international norms and human rights by circumventing legal extradition processes and engaging in intimidation tactics,” Cotton said.
“This legislation sends a clear message: the United States will never tolerate illegal operations that violate our sovereignty and intimidate individuals living within our borders.”
The most prominent Chinese police station in the U.S. operated in lower Manhattan on behalf of China’s Ministry of Public Security, the CCP’s domestic police service and surveillance apparatus, until the FBI arrested two men involved with it in 2023. One of the defendants, Chen Jinping, pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China, and the other, Lu Jianwang, continues to face federal prosecution.
Chinese police stations are believed to be operating over 100 countries worldwide. Beijing uses the police stations to monitor and silence regime critics while promoting the Chinese government’s interests.
Hinson’s bill is sponsored by Representative John Moolenaar (R., Mich.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, and several other Republican lawmakers. As a member of the China committee, Hinson has recently reintroduced multiple bipartisan bills to combat China’s violations of international trade law and limit its control of agricultural supply chains.
“The Select Committee has been at the forefront of exposing and evicting the illegal Chinese police stations that have been operating on American soil. These stations represent a direct threat to our national security and undermine the rule of law in the United States,” Moolenaar said.
“This legislation is a critical step in safeguarding the freedoms of the American people and ensuring that no foreign government can infringe upon our sovereignty, and I commend Rep. Hinson for her leadership and commitment to holding the Chinese government accountable.”