Normalizing and redirection is a lame response. Extrajudicial kidnappings by states are bad no matter who is doing them, but I think you can probably find a better reference than a nearly 20 year old example that became a major scandal within the US, and when you do you can make it the subject of its own submission rather than a distraction from this one.

There have been a lot of criticism about that at the time in Italy, investigations and even a trial IIRC. So, these things happened, but weren't blindly accepted, at least not in Italy.

Similar in the sense that countries don't like other countries coming into their country and doing whatever they want. If there are criminal issues, then they should be dealt with through normal channels.

Lots of countries get into trouble from their intelligence work overstepping bounds. But of course the country complaining does it themselves, so it's a bit of "don't get caught doing it" approach.

Doubtful. I don't know if it's true, but, from the article:

> “We’re seeing the Chinese government resort to blackmail, threats of violence, stalking and kidnappings. They’ve actually engaged criminal organisations in the US, offering them bounties in hopes of successfully taking targets back to China,” said Mr Wray last year.

You don't blackmail or threaten terror suspects, you'd kidnap them immediately. And from the numbers, if "thousands" is accurate, there isn't that much terrorism going on.

Looks more like an intimidation campaign against oppositional Chinese people living abroad.

They don't have authority and jurisdiction to just "arrest" (aka kidnap in this case) people from other countries.

If they actually want to arrest someone, the local authorities need to do it, and they would agree only if the request is valid based on their international agreements, their asylum laws, etc.

Yes. As the article states, the vast majority of them are suspected corrupt officials or scammers, but of course, you're being downvoted for suggesting that China is anything else but a Orwellian nightmare.

Ironically, there is a lot support on HN that executives should be imprisoned for white collared crime, like being responsible for the chemical spill in Ohio. It turns out the same due process that protects corrupt CEOs also protects political dissidents.