Key Takeaways:
- China is exporting surveillance technology to at least 150 countries, including Nepal, as part of its push for global influence.
- The surveillance tools China exports are based on technology developed in the United States, despite warnings that Chinese firms would buy, copy, or outright steal American designs.
- American tech companies, including Amazon Web Services, have continued to provide support to Chinese tech giants, including those on the US Commerce Department’s Entity List.
- The spread of Chinese surveillance technology has stifled the Free Tibet movement and has led to increased surveillance and control over Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
- The use of Chinese surveillance technology has raised concerns about the impact on human rights and the potential for authoritarian control.
Introduction to Chinese Surveillance
The city of Kathmandu, Nepal, is home to a large Tibetan refugee community, and the white dome of Boudhanath stands as a symbol of sanctuary for generations of Tibetans fleeing the Chinese crackdown in their homeland. However, today, Tibetan refugees are also watched by thousands of CCTV cameras from China, perched on street corners and rooftops to monitor every movement below. This intense surveillance has stifled the once-vibrant Free Tibet movement that had resonated around the world. Nepal is just one of at least 150 countries to which Chinese companies are supplying surveillance technology, from cameras in Vietnam to censorship firewalls in Pakistan to citywide monitoring systems in Kenya.
The Irony of Digital Authoritarianism
The irony at the heart of this digital authoritarianism is that the surveillance tools China exports are based on technology developed in its greatest rival, the United States. Despite warnings that Chinese firms would buy, copy, or outright steal American designs, an investigation by The Associated Press has found that Silicon Valley firms often yielded to Beijing’s demands: Give us your technology, and we will give you access to our market. Although tensions fester between Washington and Beijing, the links between American tech and Chinese surveillance continue today. For example, Amazon Web Services offers cloud services to Chinese tech giants like Hikvision and Dahua, assisting them in their overseas push.
China’s Global Security Model
China pitches itself as a global security model with low crime rates, contrasting its record with the United States. According to Sheena Greitens, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, "It’s got a set of solutions that it’s happy to share with the world that nobody else can offer." However, she notes that "they’re certainly exporting the tools and techniques that are very important to authoritarian rule." The AP investigation was based on thousands of Nepali government procurement documents, corporate marketing material, leaked government and corporate documents, and interviews with more than 40 people, including Tibetan refugees and Nepali, American, and Chinese engineers, executives, experts, and officials.
The Impact on Tibetan Refugees
While thousands of Tibetans once fled to Nepal every year, the number is now down to the single digits, according to Tibetan officials in Nepal. In a statement to AP, the Tibetan government in exile cited tight border controls, Nepal’s warming ties with China, and "unprecedented surveillance" as reasons for the drastic plunge. A 2021 internal Nepali government report, obtained by AP, revealed that China has even built surveillance systems within Nepal and in some areas of the border buffer zone where construction is banned by bilateral agreements. Many Tibetans are responding to the increased surveillance by leaving Nepal, with the Tibetan population plunging from over 20,000 to half of that or less today.
The Role of American Tech Companies
American tech companies have played a significant role in the development of Chinese surveillance technology. Many were required to start joint ventures and research operations in China as a precondition for being allowed in. Dozens, if not hundreds, complied, transferring valuable know-how and expertise — even in sensitive areas like encryption or policing. Little by little, Chinese companies chipped away at the lead of American tech companies by luring talent, obtaining research, and sometimes plain copying their hardware and software. The flow of technology continued, even as US officials openly accused China of economic espionage and pressuring American companies for their technology.
The Great Big Eye in the Sky
Inside a 15th-century monastery in Lo Manthang in Nepal’s Mustang district, a gleaming white observation dome just inside Chinese territory looms over the city. Visible from 15 kilometers (9 miles) away, it’s trained on the district that has long been a refuge for Tibetans, including a guerrilla base in the 1960s. The dome is just one node in China’s vast 1,389-kilometer (863-mile) border network with Nepal — a "Great Wall of Steel" of fences, sensors, and AI-powered drones. Chinese forces have barred ethnic Tibetans from accessing traditional pastures and performing sacred rites. They have pressured residents of Lo Manthang to remove photos of the Dalai Lama from shops. The result is that the once-porous frontier is now effectively sealed, and China’s digital dragnet reaches deep into the lives of those who live near it.
Conclusion
The spread of Chinese surveillance technology has significant implications for human rights and the potential for authoritarian control. As China continues to export its surveillance technology to countries around the world, it is essential to consider the potential consequences of this technology and the role of American tech companies in its development. The story of Tibetan refugees in Nepal serves as a warning about the impact of digital authoritarianism and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of surveillance technology.
