UK alarm over Chinese businessman and 'secret police station'

"Any attempt to coerce, intimidate or illegally repatriate any individual will not be tolerated," said junior Home Office minister Chris Philip.

China and other hardline governments were attempting "to silence their critics overseas, undermine democracy and the rule of law and further their own narrow geopolitical interests", he added.

A planned "foreign interference" offence in new national security laws would criminalise the practice, lawmakers were told.

Philip's comments came after The Times said Chinese businessman Lin Ruiyou operated a food delivery business in the London suburb of Croydon that doubled as an undeclared Chinese police station.

It said Lin had also been active in local politics for the ruling Conservatives, and reprinted on Wednesday photographs of him meeting former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Theresa May.

The daily said Lin had been active in a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 'United Front' organisation, but that he denied working surreptitiously for provincial police to monitor other Chinese nationals in London.

Philips' department earlier called the reports "very concerning" and said they were being taken "very seriously".

"Attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable," a spokesperson told AFP.

"We are committed to tackling these challenges wherever they originate."

- Overseas stations -

The UK interior ministry and London's Metropolitan police force began investigations after the human rights group Safeguard Defenders last year first detailed the existence of the overseas Chinese stations.

The Madrid-based group's campaign director, Laura Harth, told AFP that Lin had "clear and demonstrable ties to the CCP apparatus".

"It is imperative democratic authorities, including in the UK, break these investigations wide open and urgently start looking into the gamut of activities 'United Front' organisations in their country are involved in," she said.

On Monday, US authorities arrested two men for allegedly setting up one such outpost in New York and charged dozens of Chinese security officials over a campaign to monitor and harass US-based dissidents.

The arrests of Harry Lu Jianwang, 61, and Chen Jinping, 59, were the first anywhere over the alleged campaign by China to establish secret police stations around the world, US prosecutors said.

China denies any such campaign, and accused the US government of "slandering, smearing (and) engaging in political manipulation" following the New York arrests.

Beijing's embassy in London said of The Times allegations: "We have made it clear many times that there are no so-called 'overseas police stations'.

"China adheres to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, strictly observes international laws and respects the judicial sovereignty of all countries".

It warned against the media quoting "hearsay" and spreading "false accusations".