---
title: "Australia to remove China-made cameras from defence department"
description: "Australia’s defence department will remove all surveillance technology manufactured by Chinese companies Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Zhejiang Dahua Technology from its premises, the latest Western power to crack down on the technology giants."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Business Maverick"
author: "Bloomberg"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bloomberg/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-09-australia-to-remove-china-made-cameras-from-defence-department/"
published: "2023-02-09T06:05:02"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 309
---

# Australia to remove China-made cameras from defence department

> Australia’s defence department will remove all surveillance technology manufactured by Chinese companies Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Zhejiang Dahua Technology from its premises, the latest Western power to crack down on the technology giants.

By Bloomberg · Published 9 February 2023, 08:05 SAST

## Key points
- Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles has ordered an assessment of the use of technology produced by Hikvision and Dahua, following a US ban on the products over national security concerns. Opposition Australian Senator James Paterson revealed in an audit that there were more than 250 government sites across Australia with Hikvision and Dahua surveillance equipment. Marles said he didn't want to "overstate" the risks, but Australia wants to make sure its facilities are secure. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wasn't concerned about a backlash from China should they decide to remove the technology. It remains unclear how many Hikvision and Dahua cameras currently operate on Defence premises.
- Deputy Prime Minister and defence minister Richard Marles has ordered an assessment of the use of technology produced by Hikvision and Dahua in the department.
- US officials have accused Hikvision and Dahua of involvement in China’s crackdown in the far western region of Xinjiang.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wasn't concerned about a backlash from China if Australia decided to remove the technology.
- Opposition Australian senator James Paterson released details of an audit which found widespread use of Hikvision and Dahua surveillance equipment at more than 250 government sites across the country.

## Content

Deputy Prime Minister and defence minister Richard Marles will order an assessment of the use of technology produced by Hikvision and Dahua in the department, he [said in an interview](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-09/chinese-government-linked-cameras-found-in-government-buildings/101950236) with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday.

“Where those particular cameras are found they’re going to be removed. There is an issue here and we’re going to deal with it,” he said.

Hikvision and Dahua have been [accused by US officials](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-17/chinese-surveillance-cameras-targeted-by-fcc-on-security-worries) of involvement in China’s crackdown in the far western region of Xinjiang, where as many as a million Uyghur Muslims have been placed in mass detention camps. China has repeatedly denied any [accusations of human rights abuses](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-06-05/human-rights-concerns-in-xinjiang-are-redefining-entire-us-china-relationship) against its Uyghur minority.

The US, a close Australian security partner, banned the [use of the technology](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-25/fcc-bans-huawei-zte-telecom-equipment-from-sale-in-us-lawwfpb3) in November, stating national security concerns. At the time, Hikvision denied its products presented any threat to national security, while Dahua made a similar statement in 2021.

#### ‘Completely secure’

Since the election of Australia’s centre-left Labour government in May, relations between Canberra and Beijing have been steadily improving after years of diplomatic tension. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a press conference on Thursday that he wasn’t concerned about a backlash from China if Australia decided to remove the technology.

Marles told the ABC that while he didn’t want to “overstate” the risks, Australia’s government wanted to “make sure our facilities are completely secure”.

The interview came after opposition Australian senator James Paterson earlier on Thursday released details of an audit which found widespread use of Hikvision and Dahua surveillance equipment at more than 250 government sites across the country.

Paterson said in his release that Australia’s Department of Defence had not been able to state how many Hikvision and Dahua cameras were currently in operation on its premises. In his interview, Marles said the issue had preceded his party’s time in government. **BM/DM**