Japan under special supervision and critical infrastructure in Germany

Japanese officials have singled out 58 sites across the country (the target number could reach 600), including Japanese and US military facilities, nuclear power plants and other critical infrastructure, which they have  granted special protection to. Near them, foreigners and cover companies belonging to hostile governments will no longer be able to buy land and property to possibly use for espionage and acts of sabotage. This applies, for example, to facilities near the borders with Russia, North Korea and China, as well as near the command headquarters in Tokyo. Furthermore, Chinese investors are to be placed under special surveillance.

The Dutch government verified information about Chinese police stations illegally operating in the Netherlands  since 2018 and used to track and pressure Chinese dissidents and   ordered their closure. According to Spanish civil rights activists from Safeguard Defenders, Chinese police opened 54 “overseas service centres” in 25 cities in 21 countries. Most were in Europe, including nine in Spain, four in Italy, three in France, two in the Netherlands and two in the UK.

The German government has agreed to a compromise in the dispute over the purchase of shares in the Hamburg port terminal by China’s Cosco. As a result, the Chinese can take over “less than 25%” of the shares instead of the originally planned 35%. According to the Germans, ‘the reason for the partial ban is  “the possible threat to public order and security”. In the event of a crisis, the investment would allow China to influence part of Germany’s, and therefore Europe’s, critical infrastructure.