A recent report from the House Select Committee indicates that China is swiftly increasing its implementation of facial recognition, biometric surveillance, and predictive policing technologies. This expansion is viewed as part of a growing effort to suppress domestic dissent and promote authoritarian practices outside its borders.
A report [1] titled The CCPs Escalating Assault On Democracy and Human Rights released by Raja Krishnamoorthi [2] US Representative of Illinois highlights the Chinese Communist Party's adoption of advanced artificial intelligence, extensive surveillance infrastructure, and data-driven policing as integral to what is described as a “system of pre-emptive repression.”
Krishnamoorthi argues that recent changes in US policy have weakened export controls, enabling American technology to continue facilitating surveillance networks tied to human rights violations. The report claims that China has established the most extensive surveillance state globally, leveraging real-time facial recognition and a growing array of biometric data to monitor the movements, behavior, and political expression of its citizens.
The report also claims that China has established the most extensive surveillance system globally, utilizing real-time facial recognition and a growing collection of biometric data to monitor the movements, behaviors, and political expressions of its citizens. This surveillance infrastructure is deeply embedded in everyday life, spanning public squares, transportation hubs, and workplaces. In areas such as Tibet, the extent of monitoring is described as nearly complete, allowing [3] authorities to track entire communities and identify individuals considered potential political threats.
The report concludes that these technologies have facilitated Beijing's campaigns of cultural repression against Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians, and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, characterizing these actions as falling under the definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity. Chinese companies [4] have promoted facial recognition technology, data integration systems, and public security technologies related to “smart cities” in nations world-wide including [5] Brazil and continents such as [6] Africa, frequently in ways that bolster authoritarian regimes and undermine civil liberties.
The report indicates that this export of surveillance infrastructure is not solely driven by commercial interests; rather, it serves a strategic purpose by normalizing state surveillance of citizens and shifting global governance norms towards centralized political control. The report also highlights [7] the rapid advancement of China's surveillance capabilities. It references studies suggesting that the government is testing systems that merge facial recognition with emotional and physiological monitoring, including tools designed to assess stress levels or predict “ideological deviation.”
Maya Wang an [8] Associate Asia Director at Humans Rights Watch states that [9] mass surveillance programmes implemented in Xinjiang represent one of China's most conspicuous and invasive measures, yet they are merely a part of a broader range of surveillance efforts. “The mass surveillance programs in Xinjiang are China’s most visible and intrusive, but they are just one end of a spectrum. Chinese authorities use technology to control the population all over the country in subtler but still powerful ways. The central bank is adopting digital currency, which will allow Beijing to surveil and control people’s financial transactions. China is building so-called safe cities, which integrate data from intrusive surveillance systems to predict and prevent everything from fires to natural disasters and political dissent,” said Wang.
The House Select Committee report emphasizes the need for increased oversight of academic and research collaborations with Chinese institutions linked to security and intelligence agencies. Krishnamoorthi presents the issues at stake as not solely geopolitical but also ideological. The report posits that the competition between the US and China represents a struggle between democratic governance and a state surveillance model aimed at suppressing political dissent. He stated that “our competition with the CCP is not only about markets or technology,” but fundamentally concerns whether future governance will prioritize fear or freedom, and control or conscience.