China Upgrades Surveillance Measures: 30,000 Cameras Installed in Beibei, Chongqing

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[People News] The Beibei District of Chongqing has integrated 27,900 video surveillance devices and 245 sensory devices within its jurisdiction to enhance its ability to monitor the public. Meanwhile, Xiamen has introduced a controversial "Neighborhood Supervision" model, sparking widespread criticism. This model plans to extend surveillance through "Neighborhood Supervisors" at the grassroots community level.

China is ramping up its internet control over citizens. According to a report by Chongqing Daily on Monday, Lin Xuyang, a delegate to the National People’s Congress and the Beibei District Party Secretary, revealed that this surveillance system is based on the district’s digital city operation and governance center, as well as grassroots command centers at the town and street levels. It has fully integrated 27,900 video devices and 245 sensory devices, forming a powerful data collection and real-time monitoring system.

Beibei District has also introduced 93 cross-regional, cross-community, and cross-grid dispatch and command scenarios covering areas such as public security, family management, and fire safety. Since the system was launched, it has processed over 550,000 incidents and 1.08 million tasks, achieving a 100% task completion rate. However, authorities did not disclose details about the nature of these 550,000 incidents.

Community Surveillance and Its Impact on Citizens

A former community employee in Chongqing, surnamed Yang, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) on Monday (March 10) that these cameras are primarily used to monitor residential activities, pedestrians, church gatherings, and citizen protests. He said, "These surveillance cameras have long existed. The authorities call it 'SkyNet' in urban areas and 'Sharp Eyes Project' in rural areas. Their purpose is to monitor every corner, ensuring that citizens' every move is fully exposed under their watchful eyes."

Previously, the Tong’an District of Xiamen introduced the "Neighborhood Supervision" model, establishing neighborhood supervision offices aimed at extending surveillance through grassroots community "Neighborhood Supervisors." However, many netizens have criticized this model, arguing that it could lead to excessive monitoring between neighbors and even a return to the Cultural Revolution-era practice of "people monitoring people."

A netizen from Henan, known as Lao Wan, told Radio Free Asia that many local grid workers (neighborhood-level informants) have resigned due to unpaid wages, prompting local governments to come up with alternative measures: "There are two reasons for this: first, they can’t afford to pay the grid workers; second, they want to reduce administrative and governance costs. So they mobilize ordinary citizens—mainly elderly people who have free time—like retired grandpas and grandmas. On the surface, they appear friendly as neighbors, but in reality, they are monitoring your every word and action. This is exactly like the Cultural Revolution."

According to People News Online, Xiamen’s Tong’an District has already established "Neighborhood Supervision" offices in 144 villages and communities across 11 towns and subdistricts. The system operates under a three-tiered organizational structure and includes mechanisms for handling issues and follow-up evaluations. This model is considered an extension of China’s early "Fengqiao Governance" strategy, aimed at strengthening grassroots social control.

Legal analyst Lu Chenyuan criticized this approach, arguing that it is the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) way of maintaining stability while facing financial difficulties. He told Radio Free Asia, "This is a method of reducing administrative costs for stability maintenance amid a significant decline in tax revenue. However, most of the participants are elderly. How much influence they actually have over their neighbors remains to be seen."

Frequent Unpaid Wages for Grid Workers

Recently, numerous reports have surfaced about local governments failing to pay grid workers. In Putian City, Fujian Province, approximately 700–800 grid workers have not received their salaries for nearly six months. Similarly, in Linyi City, Shandong Province, community grid workers and social workers have also reported unpaid wages. The root cause of this issue is widely believed to be declining local government revenues, which have led to an inability to meet payroll obligations.

(This article is republished from Radio Free Asia.)