How 9/11 and China’s plan for blanket surveillance benefited CCTV camera makers

Hikvision, Dahua and Uniview benefited from rise in demand for surveillance after 9/11 terror attacks.

China is famous for its one-industry towns. Gurao in southern Guangdong province is known for making bras. Qiaotou in Zhejiang province produces most of the world’s buttons. The city of Tianjin to the north is a major manufacturer of bicycles.

Then there is Hangzhou’s Binjiang district, east of the Qiantang River that winds through the city, about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the famed West Lake, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Once mostly farmland, the Binjiang district is now home to many manufacturers, including Zhejiang Geely Holding, the owner of Sweden’s Volvo Cars.