The Hungarian government’s invitation to Chinese police officers to patrol in Hungary poses a threat to European security and in particular the freedoms of Europe’s Chinese diaspora.

The Commission must urgently assess whether the foreign police activity aligns with the EU’s standards for the rule of law, security and protection of minorities, Renew Europe state ahead of today’s debate in the European Parliament, held upon the request of our group. As the Chinese Communist party has a track record of surveiling its citizens abroad, Renew Europe MEPs fear that the authorities in Beijing will use the occasion to keep tabs on their diaspora living in Europe in an attempt to silence dissidents. The Hungarian government must clarify what role they will have and which powers they will possess.

“While the EU has started to address the threat of authoritarian interference— it remains blind to interference originating from our very own authoritarian member states. The fact that Chinese police officers will soon begin patrolling in Hungary is foreign meddling in EU affairs, and a significant risk to EU security. The Commission must have a forceful answer”, says Katalin Cseh, a member of the European Parliament from Hungary’s Momentum, a centre-right party in Hungary.