Fox News Crew Slapped With Ticket in China After Parking Illegally ‘For Two Minutes’

Fox News host Bret Baier said on Wednesday that his crew was given a $40 ticket in China after parking illegally “for two minutes.”

Baier hosted Special Report from China, following President Donald Trump’s trip to the country to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The Fox host highlighted the country’s practice of widespread surveillance of its citizens, noting the number of cameras visible at just a single train station.

“Big brother is watching. There are literally cameras everywhere in Beijing,” said Baier. “We’re outside the Haidian Station, and I can count at least twenty on this corner.”

Baier claimed that the ubiquity of cameras caused people in China to avoid doing things like jaywalking because repercussions could be instant. He then shared his own crew’s experience with that reality, telling viewers about the ticket his driver received within minutes of breaking a parking law.

“In fact, in Beijing, they have added 1,500 cameras just this year alone. They see everything. There is nobody jaywalking here because they could get a ticket right away,” he said. “In fact, our driver parked illegally for two minutes, and he got a message on his phone that he got a ticket for about forty bucks U.S because they saw it on the camera.”

A December report from the Austrian Strategic Policy Institute estimated that there were around 600 million cameras across China, noting that surveillance can now include AI technology like facial recognition and location tracking. The report found that this instant enforcement of the law Baier described could be taken to new levels with the use of AI, like through plans to allow AI-powered cameras and drones to “automatically discover and intelligently enforce the law,” according to documents from a Shanghai district.

The Fox host concluded his segment by pointing out the questions surrounding the Chinese government’s surveillance practices.

“Now, there are real questions with the CCP’s goal is about citizen tracking and social scoring,” he said. “They say it’s to make everybody feel safe. These cameras are watching every minute. They’re everywhere.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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