A Fox News reporter in China was fined $40 for illegal parking before even starting to cover the Trump event.
The Fox News reporting team expressed surprise at the extensive traffic camera system in China. Even drivers who parked for just two minutes were fined.
Fox News host Bret Baier wrote on social media that his team was fined $40 in China for illegally parking “for two minutes.”
MC Baier hosted a special news program during President Donald Trump’s visit to China to meet with General Secretary and President Xi Jinping. The Fox News host highlighted the widespread surveillance of Chinese citizens’ interactions, noting the “dense” number of cameras visible at one train station.
Fox News reporter Bret Baier wrote on his personal page about his team being penalized while working in China.
“The reality is there are cameras everywhere in Beijing,” Baier said. “We’re outside Haidian Station, and I can count at least twenty on this street corner.”
According to the male MC, the widespread use of cameras has helped Chinese people improve their awareness of traffic safety.
“In fact, in Beijing alone this year, they’ve installed an additional 1,500 cameras. They record everything. No one dares to cross the road illegally here because they could be fined immediately,” said Bret Baier. “Even our driver parked illegally for two minutes, and he received a text message on his phone saying he was fined about $40 because the camera recorded it.”
A December report by the Austrian Strategic Policy Institute estimated that there are around 600 million cameras across China, noting that current surveillance may include artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as facial recognition and location tracking.
The report suggests that the instantaneous law enforcement described by Baier could be taken to a new level with the use of AI, for example through plans that would allow AI-powered cameras and drones to “automatically detect and intelligently enforce the law,” according to documents from a district in Shanghai.
The Fox presenter concluded their presentation by offering some advice.
“These cameras are monitoring every minute. They’re everywhere. This helps keep people safe,” Bret Baier shared.
