Canada announced that it had summoned the Chinese ambassador to clarify the issue of suspected Chinese police stations on Canadian soil, and warned against taking measures in this regard.
Weldon Ipp, Director General for Northeast Asia at the State Department, said, "We have repeatedly asked the ambassador to come and talk to us, and we have expressed our great concern in this regard."
But Beijing confirmed that these "centers" are not related at all to any police, but rather "their main objective is to provide free assistance to Chinese citizens."
The Canadian diplomat's speech came within the framework of presenting the relationship between Canada and China before a parliamentary committee.
Ip said Ottawa was considering the possibility of "other measures".
The Canadian Federal Police announced a month ago that it was investigating information that China had established police stations in Canada and harassed Chinese immigrants there.
The investigation was opened after the Spain-based rights group, Safeguard Defenders, revealed that China has 54 similar police stations around the world, including 3 in the Toronto area, the largest city in Canada.
The group reported that some of these centers cooperate with the Chinese police to carry out "operations to maintain order on foreign lands."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that this information is "totally wrong," stressing during a press conference that Beijing "fully" respects the sovereignty of other countries.