News Analysis State-sponsored neighborhood watch programs in China function as an extra level of surveillance for the Chinese regime. Though media reports portray them as helping stop illegal behavior, these groups function as a control mechanism at the lower levels of society, using neighbors to catch anyone who does not toe the party line. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping praised them for “strengthening the weak links in the government control.” However, critics say that these organizations destroy trust among people, function like to a terrorist organization, and create a pre-war atmosphere. In Beijing, the most famous neighborhood watch group is in Chaoyang district and is called the “Chaoyang masses.” Chaoyang district is a diplomatic and financial hub filled with upscale shopping centers and luxury apartments. According to a research paper by People’s Public Security University of China, Chaoyang masses had 140,000 registered members in 2017, who receive training …