THE SENTINEL STATE

An authoritative study of China’s surveillance system and its ability to strangle any possible dissent.

The era when observers thought that democratic reform in China might be possible is long gone. In fact, writes Pei, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and author of China’s Crony Capitalism and China’s Trapped Transition, surveillance and repression have become even more prevalent in the past two decades, and they continue to grow. The current trend is toward the use of sophisticated technology, including artificial intelligence, but the system is built on a bureaucratic, labor-intensive infrastructure dating from the Mao years. Much of China’s central government data is secret, but Pei managed to piece together the architecture from public documents, leaked reports, and interviews with exiles. A sizable portion of the surveillance occurs at the grassroots level, with battalions of informants reporting to local police. Above that level is a series of agencies that analyze the data and undertake detailed surveillance and coercion when needed, and high-level Communist Party committees provide oversight and coordination. The system adds up to what Pei calls “preventive repression,” aimed at identifying and dealing with dissent before it can become organized opposition. Most of China’s population seems willing to accept ongoing surveillance in return for social stability and economic growth. The system is extremely expensive, but Xi Jinping and his coterie are willing to pay it. Pei notes, however, that the size and effectiveness of the surveillance system might blind leaders to other threats, such as corruption and socioeconomic inequities. This book is as comprehensive an examination of the subject as possible, and the author presents his findings without hyperbole. He lets the facts speak for themselves, and they tell a scary story.

Pei reveals the vast machinery of surveillance and repression in China, fueled by leaders’ fear, distrust, and paranoia.