When learning about China’s comprehensive surveillance system, it’s hard not to recall George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and the concept of Big Brother. China’s surveillance, which ranks citizens based on political and social criteria, marks a significant advance and reliance on technology compared to past efforts.
Over recent years, China has emerged as a global leader in surveillance, enhanced by artificial intelligence. This can be likened to policing during the Mao era, but significantly intensified. According to David Pierson and Berry Wang, this policing approach is now spreading to authoritarian nations and fragile democracies worldwide.
In 2022, in the Solomon Islands, local residents faced disturbances caused by young men engaging in disruptive behavior. They sought police intervention, and the responding officers were Chinese. These officers, deployed under a security deal with Beijing, suggested collecting fingerprints, palm prints, and detailed personal data from all residents. This method aligns with the Mao-era system recently reinstated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, advocating for community members to monitor each other and identify potential political threats.
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