Britain Committed To Removing China's Artificial Surveillance Equipment From Government Sites

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, (photo; Twitter @RishiSunak)

JAKARTA - Britain has committed to removing Chinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive government sites as part of its latest plans to address national security concerns related to China.

Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's leadership, who described China as the world's biggest challenge in terms of security and prosperity, the government notified its departments last year to stop installing Chinese-related surveillance cameras in sensitive buildings.

In an announcement setting plans to tighten procurement rules, the government said:

"We will also be committed to issuing a time schedule for removing surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China's National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites. By committed to this time schedule, we provide guarantees and concerns regarding the deletion plan."

The statement did not specify the names of the companies.

British lawmakers have previously called for a ban on the sale and use of security cameras made by Hikvision and Dahua, two Chinese companies partly owned by the state, due to concerns about privacy and concerns about the company's products related to human rights abuses in China.

"We believe that the actions that the UK Government may take are further steps in increasing geopolitical tensions expressed through the ban on technology, which has absolutely nothing to do with the security of Hikvision products," Hikvision said in an emailed statement.

The Beijing government has said it "restrictly opposes" the excessive use of the national security concept to pressure Chinese companies.

Britain banned the use of TikTok on government phones in March this year, while in 2020, the government announced a ban on Huawei from its 5G network. Several states in the United States have also banned vendors and products from several Chinese technology companies.