A recent report by the NGO Safeguard Defenders about the existence of "secret Chinese police stations" in cities around the world, including New York, has sparked investigations in several European countries and attracted the attention of the FBI. But while these investigations aim to protect the rule of law from subversion, they also highlight how unprepared Western democracies are to grapple with China's growing international influence.
In their eagerness to appear "tough on China", Western media and government officials alike have demonstrated their inability -- or perhaps unwillingness -- to evaluate the Safeguard Defenders report, which is plagued by mistranslations and misunderstandings of Chinese and international legal norms. China's rising power requires careful technical debate and strategising rather than crude populist appeals.
Since emerging as a global economic and political power, China has increasingly focused on shaping international norms and institutions. Chinese leaders have indeed made extraterritorial jurisdiction a national priority in recent years, adding clauses to domestic laws that aim to expand their reach beyond China's borders.
