The Chinese government exercises control through local busybodies, explains Lynette H. Ong

THE CENTRALISATION of political power in China allows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to tightly control society. In the past week demonstrations over President Xi Jinping’s “zero-covid” policy in cities across the country, involving people from a variety of backgrounds, came as a surprise. That is probably because citizens rarely protest against government measures in this way; simultaneous national resistance to them is less common even than in other autocratic states, such as Russia. The party learned tough lessons in Tiananmen Square in 1989. It has since meticulously designed a system that can pre-empt major protests before they occur.

One part of the system relies on technology. Cameras with facial-recognition capabilities and clever uses of AI on social-media platforms can identify and intimidate those voicing dissent. Another part of the system relies on the social fabric of the country. The CCP tries to avoid using violence, but instead outsources repression to prominent figures in communities around China. These might include neighbourhood gossips, residents’ committees or even street hooligans. This has augmented the power of the government in peoples’ everyday lives.