Move FM Australian News

SYDNEY, Australia: Australia’s national war memorial will remove Chinese-made security cameras installed on the premises because officials are concerned they could be used for spying, local media reported this week.

Fearing they could be used for monitoring the surrounding areas, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra will remove Chinese-made security cameras installed at the monuments by mid-2023.

The 11 surveillance cameras are manufactured by Hikvision, partly owned by Chinese state investors. Another 189 cameras at the site are supplied by different manufacturers.

Fear that Chinese-made electronic equipment could be used for spying, led the British government to ban security cameras made by companies subject to Chinese security laws from sensitive buildings.

Meanwhile, opposition Australian senator James Paterson said this week that he is conducting a full audit of all government departments and agencies for possible exposure to Chinese-made surveillance devices.

“The War Memorial is to be commended, in a sense that they recognize that they have these devices and that they should be removed,” Paterson told reporters.

“In their response to me, they said the devices that they have at their site here in Canberra will be removed and that is appropriate recognition of the national security risks that they pose.”