China urges Canada to ‘correct wrongdoing’ over Hikvision shutdown

[BEIJING] China’s commerce ministry on Monday (Jun 30) urged Canada to “immediately correct its wrongdoings” after Ottawa ordered the Chinese surveillance camera manufacturer Hikvision to cease operation in the country, citing national security concerns.

In a statement published on its website, the Chinese ministry vowed to take the “necessary measures” to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses.

“The government has determined that Hikvision Canada’s continued operations in Canada would be injurious to Canada’s national security,” Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly said on X, adding the decision was taken after a multi-step review of information provided by Canada’s security and intelligence community.

China’s foreign ministry on Monday also expressed strong opposition to Canada’s move and said it has lodged stern representations with the Canadian side.

The foreign ministry accused Canada of generalising the concept of national security and suppressing Chinese enterprises and urged it to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies.

Hikvision, which describes itself as the world’s biggest maker of video surveillance equipment, said last year it had exited contracts in Xinjiang through five subsidiaries that were added to a US trade blacklist in 2023.

Canada said last year it was reviewing an application to impose sanctions against Chinese surveillance equipment companies, including Hikvision, after rights advocates alleged the firms were aiding repression and high-tech surveillance in Xinjiang.

The Chinese government has denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang and has criticised or targeted companies for removing Xinjiang firms from their supply chains. REUTERS