Rogier Creemers and Josh Chin discuss China's mass surveillance, social credit system, technology transfer, and the nature of authoritarianism in The Future of You. They explore the challenges in the surveillance industry, the implementation of surveillance technology on Uyghurs, and the concept of autonomy in Chinese culture. They also provide recommendations for staying informed about tech and regulation in China.
China's shift towards tech authoritarianism emphasizes maximum control for the Communist Party, impacting national security and economic efficiency.
China's extensive surveillance state reaches personal and biological levels, employing technologies like facial recognition and biometric data collection.
Restrictions on semiconductors pose challenges for China's technological development, potentially disrupting the chip industry and raising concerns about resource competition and access.
Deep dives
China's Transition to Tech Authoritarianism and Increased Security
China is undergoing a transition led by Xi Jinping, shifting away from the era of reform and opening towards a new phase dominated by tech authoritarianism. This phase emphasizes maximum control for the Communist Party, with a focus on national security both domestically and internationally. Xi Jinping's third term as general secretary of the Communist Party has consolidated power, and his leadership marks a new era for China. The country faces challenges in its development trajectory, as it seeks to transition from low-value manufacturing to high-tech industries. China's ambition for a greater role in the global economy and technology is met with obstacles such as trade and technology restrictions imposed by other countries, like the US. A paradigm shift is underway, where security concerns are prioritized alongside economic efficiency, leading to potential decoupling and higher prices for technological goods.
Surveillance State and Surveillance Technologies in China
China has implemented a vast surveillance state, extensively employing surveillance technologies to monitor its citizens. The state's mass surveillance extends beyond traditional methods, reaching personal and even biological levels of surveillance. The Uyghur population, in particular, has been the focus of intense surveillance. The Chinese government employs various systems, including the social credit system, Supreme People's Court Blacklist System, and data security laws. China's surveillance apparatus includes technologies like facial recognition, biometric data collection, and extensive data monitoring. The government's approach to surveillance differs from Western concepts of privacy and autonomy. Instead, Chinese society integrates surveillance into its belief of self-cultivation and the role of society in enabling self-improvement. This unique perspective influences the government's emphasis on surveillance and control.
Challenges and Implications of Semiconductor Restrictions and Decoupling
Semiconductor restrictions imposed by the US present significant challenges for China's technological development. The US controls a large portion of the chip industry, which is crucial for various high-tech applications. China heavily relies on American technology and know-how, making it difficult to replace or reproduce advanced chips and semiconductors. The restrictions could potentially disrupt the chip industry in China and have ripple effects throughout the Chinese economy. Decoupling in the tech sector raises concerns about resource competition and access in regions like Southeast Asia. The global shift towards a focus on security alongside economic efficiency leads to questions about the implications of decoupling for economies and markets worldwide. Furthermore, it raises challenges for supply chains and highlights the complexity of ensuring access to critical resources like rare earths in an environmentally sustainable manner.
China's use of technology for surveillance in Xinjiang
The podcast episode discusses how China is using technology, particularly in Xinjiang, to surveil the Uyghur population. The episode explores how a data collection platform based on military technology is being used to gather information on Uyghurs' behaviors, contacts, and beliefs. This data is used to categorize Uyghurs and determine the level of threat they pose to the Communist Party rule. Those considered unsafe are sent to internment camps for political reeducation. The episode highlights the extensive surveillance in Xinjiang and raises questions about the broader implications for global technology-based surveillance.
Comparison of surveillance systems in Xinjiang and China
The episode compares the surveillance systems in Xinjiang and the rest of China. It discusses the use of a health code system during the COVID-19 pandemic to track individuals' movements and exposure to the virus. The discussion touches on the social credit system in China and how it is distinct from the health code system. It emphasizes that surveillance and technology-based systems are not exclusive to China and that other countries also have the agency to implement similar systems. The episode concludes that the spread of technologically empowered surveillance is a political and corporate choice, and that societies have the agency to shape the future of surveillance practices.
Today, I'm joined by Rogier Creemers, Assistant Professor in China Studies at Leiden University, and the Co-editor of Law and the Party in China: Ideology and Organisation and by Josh Chin of the China Bureau at the Wall Street Journal, who is also the co-author with Lisa Lin of the new book, Surveillance State, China's quest to launch a new era of social control.
This episode of The Future of You covers:
The macro context, discussing the geopolitical economic and trade situation
Technology transfer, highlighting the issues over semiconductors, and China's ambition to play a bigger role in the global economy and technology.
Mass surveillance at a personal and even biological level of Chinese citizens, predominantly, but not exclusively, by the Uyghurs.
The social credit system, and both the Chinese and Western understandings and perhaps misunderstandings of that.
The Supreme People's Court blacklist system
The regulation of algorithms
The nature of authoritarianism versus personal autonomy.
Why Chinese culture contains no such notion of autonomy