The Sentinel State: Surveillance and the Survival of Dictatorship in China.

The article discusses the book "The Sentinel State: Surveillance and the Survival of Dictatorship in China" by Minxin Pei. The book explores China's sophisticated surveillance system and its role in maintaining the Communist Party's control. The author argues that China's surveillance system is more advanced and efficient than any other dictatorship in history, with institutional innovations and a large network of informants contributing to its effectiveness. The article also highlights that while technology plays a significant role, labor and organization are the backbone of the system. The exportability of China's surveillance state is questioned, as other countries may not have the same reach and penetration into society. The article concludes by discussing the potential challenges the Chinese surveillance state may face in the future, such as economic stagnation and the financial burden of maintaining and upgrading the hi-tech surveillance system. [Extracted from the article]