These cameras, which can be hidden from the eye easily, are selling like hot cakes in Guangzhou and Shenzhen of South China's Guangdong Province.

But members of the public and officials alike are concerned that the cameras could be used intrusively to spy on people's daily lives and expose their peccadilloes.

Micro video cameras gained notoriety after they were used clandestinely to film the affairs of female politician Qu Meifeng in Taiwan Province in December.

This video was then reproduced on to optical disks and sold in China, other Asian countries and even Europe.

At the Taojie electrical appliance shop at Jiangjundong in Guangzhou, at least 10 stalls are selling different types of micro-cameras from 100 yuan (US$12) to 3,000 yuan (US$360), without any special permission needed.

"I wholesaled more than 400 micro-cameras last month," a dealer told China Daily. He said his clients were not only local people, but also came from Hong Kong, Macao and mainland provinces.

"Most of the micro-cameras were bought by factories, shopping centres and supermarkets as precautions against theft," said another vendor surnamed Wang.

"But now many families also buy them and install them at their homes for the same purpose, as the price of pinhole cameras dropped from several thousand yuan to 100 yuan (US$12) in the latter half of last year," Wang said.

The seller admitted some people buy the cameras to supervise on their spouse's activities or for other reasons.

The dealer recommended a wireless camera which is able to receive signals within 1 kilometre.

The cameras were produced in Shenzhen using chips from Taiwan.

Micro-cameras were also found on sale at Guangzhou Haiyin Electrical Appliance Shop, where they were sold comparatively secretly, as well as the Saige, Huaqiang and Zhongdian markets in Shenzhen.

"There are still no relevant laws to supervise the sale of surveillance equipment," said Xin Guanghui, director of the economic inspection department under the provincial bureau of industry and commerce.

During the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress which ended last week in Beijing, deputy Weng Weiquan raised a motion which appealled for State legislation on secret filming to prevent violations of privacy.

"Residents feel unsafe as this method has been used to expose aspects of people's private lives," Weng noted.

According to Wu Yaoguang, an official with the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court, the victim is able to claim for compensation according to prescription on the rights of fame and portrait included in the country's civil laws.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2002)