The claims were made by the Central European investigative platform, VSquare. Citing a reliable source “familiar with recent Chinese-Hungarian negotiations,” the portal said that a previously undisclosed provision would allow China to use surveillance cameras touting advanced AI capabilities, such as facial recognition technology, on Hungarian soil.

Although Hungary already has a considerable surveillance infrastructure, including Pegasus spyware and, possibly, Israeli facial recognition software, the latest news raises fresh concerns.

While the arrangement will aid in the monitoring of Chinese investments, institutions, and personnel, the involvement of Chinese tech firms that may have military or intelligence ties could further strain Budapest’s relationship with the rest of the EU bloc.

Likewise, worries exist that some Chinese firms involved could already be subject to Western sanctions.

As has already been widely publicized, Chinese policemen could soon be patrolling Hungary—and vice versa—as part of an agreement aimed at “improving communication between the citizens and authorities of the two countries and improving internal security and public order.”

Ostensibly, officials say that this will be angled towards protecting tourists, but the news has left Chinese dissidents living in the EU fearing the worst.

According to one online petition, dissidents have been left alarmed by the prospect that Chinese police officials will be able to “freely enter and leave Hungary” and “even go to European countries to perform secret missions and arbitrarily arrest dissidents.”

When questioned by VSquare, the Hungarian police told the platform that Chinese law enforcement “will not be authorized to investigate or take any kind of action on their own.” Questions regarding surveillance went unanswered.