The Past, Present and Future of China’s Surveillance State

Abstract

The Past, Present and Future of China’s Surveillance State

This talk examines the evolution of China’s digital surveillance infrastructure from the early digitization of policing to today’s AI-driven, fully networked security ecosystem. It explores how law enforcement operates through systems of geo-positioning, real-time data visualization, predictive analytics, digital twins, and autonomous technologies such as drones and robotic agents. At the same time, it considers how these same technologies are presented to citizens under the label of “smart” environments—smart schools, workplaces, prisons, and elderly care facilities. By tracing this overlap, the talk highlights different perspectives on the surveillance infrastructure – those of the police and that of the population.

This talk is part of the series "Critical Data & Surveillance Studies" organized by Professor Azadeh Akbari.

 

Date & Time

The talk will take place on May 28, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. at the Seminarhaus, room SH 0.105 (Campus Westend, Goethe University).

It is also possible to join the talk online via Zoom.

 

Photo by Lianhao Qu auf Unsplash

Bio

Valentin Weber

Valentin Weber is a senior research fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations and a China Foresight associate at LSE IDEAS. His research covers the intersection of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and technological spheres of influence. He holds a doctorate in cybersecurity from the University of Oxford.