What happened: Chinese activist Teacher Li’s Team confirmed: “Italy deported eight Chinese nationals who had assisted Chinese overseas police in carrying out transnational repression against me over the past three years.”
- Il Foglio first reported the case on Saturday, while the expulsion orders were issued on Thursday.
- The NGO Safeguard Defenders — which has monitored Chinese transnational repression for years and previously documented similar activities targeting dissidents abroad – has corroborated the news on Sunday.
What they’re saying. Teacher Li thanked the Italian government and organisations that documented the case.
- “My team and I sincerely thank the Italian government for all its efforts,” he wrote, also expressing “sincere gratitude to Safeguard Defenders for their continuous monitoring, documentation, and support throughout this process.”
- He described years of pressure linked to his work documenting censored social injustices and pro‑democracy aspirations in China.
- “Over the past three years, my team and I have worked every day to uphold press freedom in China,” he wrote, adding that the work exposed him and his collaborators to “persistent and wide‑ranging harassment, threats, and violations across the globe.”
- Teacher Li’s team believes the Italian decision protects us and defends democratic principles and the rule of law.
- “We are heartened to see the Italian government taking action against China’s transnational repression overseas. This represents not only protection for us, but also a defense of democratic principles and the rule of law.”
Why it matters: The reported measures come at a sensitive moment for Italian security institutions.
- Hackers reportedly linked to China obtained personal data belonging to roughly 5,000 officers of the Italian Digos, the police unit responsible for counterterrorism and monitoring extremist networks — a breach that investigators revealed about three weeks ago.
- The breach included names, assignments and operational roles of officers — many of whom were involved in monitoring foreign dissidents, including individuals who fled China.
- If confirmed, the intrusion could expose sensitive investigative structures and raise serious national security concerns.
Between the lines: The expulsions also come as Italy’s intelligence community has adopted a more explicit tone regarding China.
- The 2026 Annual Report of Italian Intelligence identifies Beijing as a major actor in global geopolitical competition.
- It highlights the increasing use of hybrid tools — ranging from economic pressure to cyber operations and influence campaigns.
- For the first time, the report publicly attributes a global cyber‑espionage campaign to China—the operation known as “Salt Typhoon.”
- Italian analysts describe China as pursuing a whole‑of‑government strategy, integrating economic leverage, technological development and information operations under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party.
Zoom in: what’s China goal. Analysing with Decode39 the presence of these Chinese “police stations” in Italy in March last year, Oriana Skylar Mastro — a Stanford University professor and expert on China — explained that Beijing’s strategy in establishing such centres is twofold.
- She noted that China seeks both to protect its investments abroad and to safeguard its political interests by exerting influence over local law‑enforcement environments.
Decoding the news: The episode reflects a growing duality in Italy’s China policy.
- Rome continues to maintain diplomatic and economic engagement with Beijing.
- Still, it is also increasingly willing to respond firmly to activities perceived as threats to national security and interests.
What we’re watching: Teacher Li said his team will continue documenting repression and supporting Chinese dissidents abroad.
- “Moving forward, we will continue to work with various organisations to support Chinese dissidents around the world and to resist the Chinese Communist Party’s tactics of transnational repression.”
