Inside a surveillance state

China is commonly described as a surveillance state. A recent visit to Tiananmen Square in Beijing gave me an insight into what that looks like on the ground

When I landed at Beijing Capital International Airport in mid-February, I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be allowed into the country. I knew that I was entitled to a 10-day extended transit visa, but as a journalist I didn’t want to take anything for granted, and I’ll admit to some nerves as I went through immigration.

As it turned out, all went smoothly. In f…