BERLIN: China has set up at least two "police stations" in Germany, authorities in the Central European country have confirmed, sparking fresh concern about the overseas centers that critics say are used to harass dissidents.The German setups do not have fixed offices and are overseen by private individuals from the Chinese diaspora, according to the German Interior Ministry.Earlier this year, Spanish-based nongovernmental organization Safeguard Defenders said China had set up 54 overseas police stations around the world, which are sometimes used to target critics of the Communist Party of China.German lawmaker Joana Cotar, whose request led to the information being disclosed, said it was an "outright scandal" that the government only revealed the details when asked and that it "simply accepts" the stations' existence."If they were to act according to the law, then these structures — however they look — would be dissolved immediately," said Cotar, who was until recently a member of parliament with the far-right party Alternative for Germany.Dutch authorities said in October they were investigating reports of at least two in the Netherlands that Beijing uses to harass dissidents.Get the latest newsdelivered to your inboxSign up for The Manila Times’ daily newslettersBy signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Serviceand Privacy Policy."