Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that the British government has announced plans to remove Chinese-made surveillance equipment installed in sensitive locations by April 2025.
The UK is increasingly concerned about Chinese espionage. In November 2022, British authorities stated that surveillance systems produced by companies subject to China’s national intelligence laws should not be used in sensitive places such as British government buildings and military bases. About half of the Chinese-made surveillance equipment installed in some sensitive locations has been replaced, and progress is being made in removing Chinese-made surveillance equipment in the remaining locations. Deputy Finance Minister Alex Burghart said in a statement that the work of dismantling the remaining equipment is being stepped up, and that about 70 percent of the job will be completed by October this year. UK lawmakers have also called for a ban on the sale and use of security cameras made by China’s Hikvision and Dahua over privacy concerns.
Chinese spies are targeting British officials holding sensitive positions in politics, defense and business in an attempt to extract secrets from them. British police last week charged two men with spying for China, one of whom allegedly worked as a researcher for a prominent member of the British Parliament.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, April 29, 2024
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/world/story20240429-3531404?amp