China: The world’s largest maker of surveillance equipment has long-established links with the Chinese military, including conducting a study with weapons experts in China and supplying cameras and drones to the country’s air force, a report stated.
The findings by IPVM, a surveillance-industry research firm, focused on Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., which had disputed as baseless a decision taken by the US Department of Defence last year to place it on a blacklist of companies with alleged ties to China’s armed forces.
As per the documents recovered from the investigation, Hikvision sold drones and other accessory equipment to the Chinese air force in 2019 and was considered a top-tier supplier to the nation’s military in 2014. In March, China also displayed a drone jamming rifle incised with a Hikvision logo being held by a soldier kneeling in rough terrain and testing equipment for use in extreme conditions.
According to IPVM, Hikvision partnered with the PRC’s military, earned top PLA supplier status, and collaborated for research. A spokesperson in response to the finding denied military collaborations and quoted,” company manufactures commercial devices and solutions that some can be considered dual-use goods serving general video-surveillance purposes .”
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Military Commission, however, did not respond to requests for comment. In 2014, Hikvision was listed as a Tier 1 supplier to the Chinese military, a scoring system that rates a company on its time in existence, revenue, and net assets, according to a 2015 Chinese state-media report cited by IPVM.
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