In the Name of Fighting Pandemic, China Strengthens Surveillance State

Security guards wait in line to undergo COVID-19 coronavirus swab tests at a testing station in Beijing on June 30, 2020. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese regime has taken advantage of the current pandemic to step up surveillance of citizens, with local security bureaus—akin to police departments—working closely with hospitals and other medical institutions.

Based on a number of leaked documents obtained by The Epoch Times and a review of announcements made by Chinese authorities, police have obtained broad powers to collect health data and track citizens’ movements as authorities have tried to stop the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

Data Collection 

In a leaked document issued by the health commission in Daxing district of Beijing on June 26, authorities requested that police and health officials work together closely to “enter households and investigate.”