Will smart cities in Belt and Road Initiative bring Xinjiang-style facial recognition to other countries?
Jun 24, 2020 | Chris Burt Much of the digital security apparatus operated in Xinjiang by China’s government, including biometric facial recognition, is making its way into cities in Pakistan as part of “smart city” or “safe city” projects as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), writes The Interpreter . The CPEC is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which now includes more than 3,000 projects, 60 percent of which have begun. Agreements have been signed by 126 countries and 29 international organizations. Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta, Karachi and Gwadar have all implemented Chinese smart city technology. Lahore installed Huawei’s technology for its project, which includes 8,000 CCTV cameras with facial recognition, automated vehicle license plate recognition and multiple tracking options. A fiber-optic cable between the two countrie s is being built, and Pakistan is reported to be considering Chinese-style internet regulations and a national firewall to