Xi Jinping’s secret to total control: an army of eyes and ears

The police station’s walls were covered with paper, one for each tower of Beijing’s vast apartment complex, and each piece was further subdivided into units, listing the residents’ names, phone numbers and other information.

But perhaps the most important detail is how each unit is color-coded: Green means you can trust it. Yellow means you need attention. Orange means “close supervision.”

An officer scanned the walls, then leaned over to mark in yellow a third-floor apartment that, the note said, was “high risk” because its residents changed frequently and would be tracked down later.

“I’ve created a system to address hidden dangers within my jurisdiction,” the officer said. Local government video His work was hailed as a model of innovative policing.

This is the kind of local governance China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, wants: more visible, more invasive, always on the lookout for real or perceived threats. Police patrol the apartment building. Listen to the quarrels between neighborsAuthorities are employing retired workers who play chess outdoors as extra eyes and ears. In the workplace, employers are required to appoint “safety consultants” Report regularly To the police.