The United States is deeply concerned that China is "setting up" unauthorized "police stations" in American cities to possibly conduct "influence operations." FBI Director Christopher Wray said this, according to Reuters.

Safeguard Defenders, a European human rights organization, published a report in September on dozens of Chinese police "service stations" in major cities around the world, including New York City. The "stations" were allegedly a continuation of Beijing's efforts to pressure some Chinese citizens or their relatives abroad to return to China on criminal charges.  They are also linked to the activities of the Workers' Division of the United Front of China, an organ of the Communist Party tasked with "spreading its influence and propaganda overseas."

"I'm very concerned about this. We are aware of the existence of these stations," Wray said at a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, declining to elaborate on the FBI's investigative work on the matter. "But to me, it is outrageous to think that the Chinese police would attempt to set up shop, you know, in New York, let's say, without proper coordination. It violates sovereignty and circumvents standard judicial and law enforcement cooperation processes."

Asked by Republican Senator Rick Scott whether such "stations" violate U.S. laws, he said the FBI was "looking into the legal parameters."

He said the United States has brought a number of charges against the Chinese government for harassing, surveillance and blackmailing Chinese in the United States who disagree with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. "It's a real problem and something that we're talking with our foreign partners about, as well, because we're not the only country where this has occurred," he said.

In October, the United States filed criminal charges against seven Chinese nationals accused of conducting a surveillance and harassment campaign against a U.S. resident and his family in an attempt by the Chinese government to repatriate one of them back to China.