The UK government has announced new measures to prevent the use of Chinese surveillance technology on sensitive sites, such as government buildings and military bases. The move comes amid growing concerns over the security risks posed by Beijing’s national intelligence law, which requires Chinese companies to cooperate with its security services.
New rules to protect national security
The new rules are part of the Procurement Bill, which sets the buying rules for public bodies and is expected to pass the Commons on Wednesday. The bill will allow the government to ban any surveillance equipment that is produced by companies subject to China’s national intelligence law from any site where sensitive information is held or discussed.
The ban will cover security cameras and other visual surveillance systems made by Chinese firms, such as Hikvision, which has been accused of supplying equipment to internment camps in China’s Xinjiang province. The government will also set up a new National Security Unit, which will vet companies supplying the government to see if they pose a security risk.
The government said the new measures will “prevent any security risks materialising” and show that it is “taking our national security seriously”. It also said it will update Parliament every year on how many cameras have been removed from sensitive sites.
MPs welcome the move but urge more action
The announcement was welcomed by Tory MPs, who have been pressing the government to take a tougher stance against China. Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs committee, said the new rules will end “the whack-a-mole approach to national security in our supply chains” and must “be urgently enacted”.
She added: “Whether it’s our police forces using DJI drones, or local councils and sensitive sites using Hikvision CCTV, a public service is vulnerable if it is still procuring equipment that can be manipulated by a hostile state.”
However, some MPs also urged the government to go further and openly categorise China as a threat to the UK. They also called for more action to remove Chinese technology from other areas that are not considered sensitive, such as schools and hospitals.
Concerns over China’s influence and espionage
The move comes amid growing tensions between the UK and China over a range of issues, such as human rights, trade and Hong Kong. The UK has also joined other Western allies in criticising China’s cyberattacks and espionage activities, which have targeted government, academic and business institutions.
Last week, a researcher at Cambridge University was arrested on suspicion of spying for China. The man has denied the allegations. Earlier this year, the UK also banned Huawei from its 5G network, citing national security concerns.
The biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner, Fraser Sampson, said that our public surveillance infrastructure had been built on “digital asbestos”. He warned that “considerable caution” was required when handling the products installed by the previous generation and that a “moratorium on any further installation until we fully understand the risks we have created” should be made a priority.
