The British government announced on Monday that it "anticipates the removal of Chinese-made surveillance technology from sensitive sites by April next year as part of its efforts to tighten security measures amid growing concerns regarding espionage activities conducted by Beijing." Anxiety has escalated across Europe over what has been described as Chinese espionage activities. Last week, British police charged two men with espionage for Beijing, one of whom reportedly worked as a researcher in the British Parliament for a prominent member.
In November 2022, the British government stated that optical surveillance systems produced by companies subject to China's National Intelligence Law should not be used in sensitive locations such as government buildings and military bases. Legislators have also called for a ban on the sale and use of surveillance cameras produced by Hikvision and Dahua, both partly state-owned Chinese companies, due to privacy concerns.
The government clarified that it has determined that the vast majority of sensitive sites had never used such equipment. Among the few sites that did, approximately 50% have replaced it since the British government’s announcement, in addition to progress made in removing the remaining equipment. State Minister Alex Burghart stated in a statement: "Work is progressing to remove the remaining devices, with an expected removal from nearly 70% of sites by October of this year, and from all remaining sites by April 2025 at the latest."
The statement added: "The government takes the security of British citizens and its systems and institutions very seriously, and we have a range of measures in place to scrutinize the safety of our arrangements."
