Citizen Spies – Communist China’s Method of Control

Betrayal, intrigue, false accusations and mistrust

In China, a vast network of informants serves as the regime’s most tyrannical tool for repression and control. It is widely known that the communist Chinese government closely monitors individuals deemed “potential threats.” From facial recognition scanners to DNA samples and government-tracked mobile phones, Beijing surveils Chinese citizens and even extends its tentacles internationally. Despite having access to cutting-edge technologies, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) relies primarily on its vast network of citizen spies as its crucial method to hold hostage its citizens.

The Chinese government's methods are intricate and far-reaching. Through a vast network of informants strategically placed at national, provincial and local levels, the CCP maintains its dictatorial grip on power. In The Sentinel State, authored by Minxin Pei, light is shed on the analog surveillance state in China, revealing that human informants are more crucial than high-tech tools in upholding the fragile dictatorship.

By delving into official documents, leaked information, and firsthand accounts, Pei uncovers the perverse nature of the internal spy network in China, including the obnoxious social credit system used to manipulate citizens. His meticulous research spans from historical contexts to the present, illustrating the evolution of monitoring practices that shape the tyrannical regime under Xi Jinping. Understanding these surveillance mechanisms is vital for those seeking to challenge the ruling party; the formidable monitoring apparatus continues to pose significant obstacles to basic human rights such as freedom of worship, free speech and dissent.

The Chinese government’s surveillance methods have been a topic of concern for many years, with the country being known as the most monitored and controlled society in the world. The use of informants and conventional monitoring methods has always been a fundamental communist strategy to maintain its grip on a country. However, with technological advancements, China has embraced high-tech tools to further its surveillance capabilities. This includes facial recognition technology, biometric data collection, and the controversial social credit system to see if one is towing the party line.

In China, the rule of law does not exist, so the social credit system aims to assign a score from 650 to 950 to each individual based on their behavior and actions relative to Xi’s ever-morphing concept of Chinese communism. This score can then be used to determine one’s access to various services and opportunities, such as education, travel visas, train tickets, health care, loans, and even job prospects, based on one’s adhesion to the atheistic ideals of socialism. Anything below 550 invites persecution from the state, and one’s activities will be severely curtailed.

Those with low scores, anyone who disagrees with Beijing, face restrictions and penalties, effectively creating a system of social control and pressure, forcing citizens to conform to Xi’s whims. There are no absolute laws; the party president is the law; there is no recognition of moral law, the practice of virtue or recognition of the Ten Commandments. The CCP determines what is true or false, good or evil and beautiful or ugly.

However, despite the use of these high-tech tools, Pei’s research reveals that human informants play a crucial role in monitoring and suppressing dissidents. These informants are often ordinary citizens recruited by the government and given a monthly quota to fill by spying on and reporting on their neighbors’ behavior and activities. With China’s vast population and highly connected society, this system allows for widespread surveillance at a local level that even technology cannot do.

Another aspect of China’s socialist surveillance state is the use of big data analytics to sift through massive amounts of information and identify potential threats to the government. This includes monitoring social media activity, online searches and financial transactions. With a combination of advanced technology and human informants, China’s surveillance efforts have become highly effective in maintaining a death grip over its population.

The Chinese government justifies these measures for maintaining stability and national security. In reality, communism exists in China by force, as it has never convinced public opinion to accept it; otherwise, this type of spying and surveillance would not be necessary. The CCP has also faced criticism for using these tools to suppress dissent and violate individual privacy rights. In recent years, there have been reports of individuals being unfairly targeted and punished by the social credit system, leading to concerns about the abuse of power communists are known for.

Moreover, China’s surveillance state is not limited to its citizens. The government has also been accused of using advanced technology to monitor and censor foreign visitors, as well as to track the activities of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region. This has raised international concerns about the country’s deplorable human rights record and its impact on global surveillance practices. Freedom House ranked China 9th overall out of 100 with political rights -2.

The Communist Party's enduring power in China can be attributed to a degree of apathy, a robust surveillance infrastructure and newfound economic growth. Statistics show that 1.13 percent of Chinese citizens, 16 million, act as informants, fostering widespread betrayal and distrust.

This pervasive surveillance system, managed through grassroots organization, rivals the infamous Stasi, the NAZI secret police. The intricate network of surveillance units within the police force underscores the extent of domination exerted by the communist party to subjugate the Chinese citizens. This level of control allows the government to monitor and eradicate any potential threats to its illegitimate authority.

However, with the rise of technology and social media, some Chinese citizens have found ways to circumvent these measures and express their dissent through online platforms. These efforts have challenged the government’s control over public opinion, showing that the majority of the Chinese do not want communism. In response, China has also increased its suppression measures, implementing a strict online censorship system known as the Great Firewall.

The prevalence of surveillance in China has global implications. Other dictatorships have adopted the widespread use of technology for control and monitoring, leading to concerns about the spread of this surveillance state model. This raises questions about the balance between security and privacy in an increasingly digitally connected world.

China operates its version of the Stasi, or KBG, which is called the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. It is based in Beijing and is responsible for monitoring citizens’ ideological compliance with the whims of the atheistic socialist state. It was briefly abolished before the Tiananmen Square reforms but is now led by a Politburo member.

It supervises courts, prioritizes dissent crackdowns and invests in the latest high-tech surveillance. The commission’s local activities range from online fraud to monitoring potential unrest involving military veterans. The commission also monitors labor disputes and vet job applicants for “evil cult” ties. However, that may be defined.

Continuing Mao’s mass line approach, local police now recruit informants to monitor dissent and Counter-Revolutionaries. They target ethnic minorities, intimidate dissidents, and conduct unannounced home visits/searches. The party’s centralized, tech-enhanced surveillance system ensures tight control. Xi greatly fears that political reforms will weaken party control, not economic.

These tactics used by Chinese communists have sparked international concern and criticism. Human rights organizations have spoken out against the extensive surveillance and inhumane control measures, arguing that they violate fundamental human rights such as privacy, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly. However, communists only talk about democracy when ascending to power, not after they have it.

Beijing’s surveillance extends beyond its borders, a topic not extensively covered in The Sentinel State. However, it is crucial to highlight that China can deploy its surveillance initiatives abroad, impacting millions of Americans, including military and tech personnel targeted due to Beijing’s cyber intrusions. Ethnic Chinese individuals are under constant monitoring globally, managed by Beijing’s police stations in Chinatowns worldwide and by modern Red Guards harassing Hong Kong refugees in the U.K., an illegal activity they conduct on foreign soil with impunity.

The Communist Party’s heavy reliance on surveillance for its survival creates a significant disparity between the U.S. and China. The U.S. cannot adopt China’s approach of refining domestic surveillance tools, given Western Christian principles. Unlike communism, democracies refrain from mass recruitment of citizens as informants or monitoring for social credit ratings.

Therefore, the U.S. must shield its populace from this type of surveillance rather than employ it. The magnitude of this challenge is starkly portrayed in this unsettling narrative given the advancement of technology that can be used for this purpose. Let us not fall to the same depraved life of betrayal, intrigue, false accusations and mistrust fostered by our own government.