The Chinese finance hub has already installed almost 4,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras under a police crime-fighting programme. That number will increase to a total of 60,000 by 2028, according to documents submitted to the legislature.

Artificial intelligence is being used to monitor crowds and read licence plates, and that technology “will naturally be applied to people, such as tracking a criminal suspect”, Hong Kong’s security chief Chris Tang told lawmakers.