In September 2022, Spain-based human rights group Safeguard first reported about Chinese Overseas Police Stations (COPS) operating across five continents. There are reportedly around 102 such stations operating in 53 countries, Inside Over reported. They function through informal locations i
"There are many Overseas Chinese Assistance Centers that indulge in activities of espionage, curbing dissent, and identifying overseas Chinese who are pro-democracy supporters, other than the regular cover activity of assisting the Chinese diaspora," the publication said.