From Baghdad to Beijing: How the World’s Thinkers Slept through a Digital Takeover
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Abstract
One of their signature products, video surveillance systems, is being adopted worldwide to control dissidents, both fostering and spreading the same repression that takes place inside China. This article investigates a less-noticed, yet no less profound implication of China’s digital influence, in particular, its export of surveillance devices that are integrated into critical infrastructure. These devices, which are sometimes sold at fire-sale prices, serve as contemporary Trojan horses, permitting Chinese entities access to sensitive data and surveillance networks worldwide. This digital penetration is also supported by China’s National Intelligence Law (2017/18) that obliges Chinese companies to support state intelligence services, which many interpret as paving the way for covert spying and espionage. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 30 security experts, policymakers, and industry professionals, and document analysis including government reports, policy documents, and prior research, this study examines the strategic risks of Chinese technological influence on global surveillance systems. The data collected demonstrate that on the one hand, while Chinese surveillance technology is economically lucrative, it poses a considerable risk of espionage and loss of digital sovereignty on the other hand. The paper uses the Galwan Valley incident as a case study to demonstrate where Chinese influence may have caused disruptions in national surveillance networks.
However, the lure for many countries of Chinese technologies — which tend to be cheaper and more efficient means manipulation is impossible to curtail. Increasing dependency on these technologies in critical sectors such as defense, telecommunications, and transportation has, however, opened up vulnerabilities. The paper urges immediate regulatory reforms, stiffer international cooperation, and greater vigilance to combat the security risks posed by Chinese surveillance technology. The future lies in finding the right balance where economic benefits do not compromise nation states’ control or security in their digital spheres.