TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese-run Mandarin school in Paris, France, has allegedly become the target of a Chinese overseas police station, likely because of its close links to the Taiwan government.

L’Encrier Chinoise (書硯藝術文化學校), a school run with funds from the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning, has been an active institute in the community of Paris’ 13th district for more than 17 years. It provides a way for Hong Kong expats and those who renounced their People's Republic of China citizenship to continue with their Mandarin studies, per an Intelligence Online report.

Lin Shu-lin (林淑琳), the principal of L’Encrier Chinoise, said that when she was told she may be a target of the Chinese Communist Party, she was surprised but her suspicions over the past few months were confirmed, CNA cited her as saying. Since the school teamed up with the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning at the end of last year, its Facebook page and website have been hacked three times, in February, June, and September 2022, per CNA.

The school had to request assistance from the Taipei Representative Office in France to resolve the issue, Lin said. Despite this, the principal said she will continue teaching traditional characters and promote Taiwan’s cultural heritage in France.

The overseas police station in question is believed to be affiliated with the Fuzhou Public Security Bureau, as these secret stations follow guidelines from local Chinese public security authorities, according to Spain-based NGO Safeguard Defenders.

Additionally, the Notre Dame de Chine, a Catholic church established in 2005, is also believed to have been targeted by Chinese overseas police for its close ties with the Catholic Church in Taiwan and its activities in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Intelligence Online said.