China is hardly unique: Britain has arguably led the world in the use of surveillance cameras. But China has embraced them with particular enthusiasm.
IMS Research, an electronics-focused consultancy, has predicted annual growth of more than 20% in China between last year and 2014, and less then 10% elsewhere.
Bo Zhang, senior research analyst at IMS, believes that more than 10m cameras were installed in China in 2010. The company estimates that spending reached $680m last year, with the total market - including related systems - hitting a value of $1.7bn.