Canada Orders Hikvision to Close Operations, Prompting Chinese Backlash

 

China has criticized Canada’s decision to order Chinese surveillance firm Hikvision to cease operations in the country, warning that the move could harm bilateral trade and damage efforts to repair strained diplomatic relations. The response from Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce came after Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly announced that Hikvision Canada Inc must shut down, citing national security concerns.

Joly stated that the company's continued presence posed a potential threat and that Canadian government departments would no longer use Hikvision products. She added that a broader review was underway to remove any existing Hikvision technology from federal properties.

China’s Commerce Ministry expressed strong dissatisfaction, accusing Ottawa of overusing national security claims and harming the legitimate rights of Chinese businesses. The ministry warned that the decision could weaken corporate confidence and undermine ongoing economic cooperation between the two nations. Beijing urged Canada to reverse the decision immediately.

Hikvision, based in Hangzhou, is one of the world’s top manufacturers of surveillance equipment. It has been under international scrutiny, especially from the United States, which blacklisted the company in 2019 due to its alleged involvement in human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region.

This latest dispute emerges just months after Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney took office in April, with China initially expressing a willingness to improve bilateral ties. However, relations between the two countries have remained rocky in recent years. Tensions date back to the 2018 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver and China’s subsequent detention of two Canadians. Additional strains have arisen from allegations of Chinese interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections accusations Beijing has denied.

Joly emphasized that the ban followed a thorough security and intelligence review by Canadian authorities.

See also: US, Canada to resume trade talks after Ottawa drops digital tax