China urges Canada to provide fair business environment.

China urges Canada to provide fair business environment.

June 19, 2025 — In a recent statement, the Chinese government has urged Canada to provide a fair, just, and nondiscriminatory environment for the normal operation of Chinese enterprises. This comes in response to the Canadian government's decision to order Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. to cease operations in the country over national security concerns [1].

The Chinese embassy in Canada expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the order, stating that it seriously undermines the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and disrupts normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Canada. The spokesperson emphasized that the Chinese government encourages Chinese enterprises to conduct outbound foreign investment and cooperation in accordance with market principles and international rules, while also complying with local laws [1].

Hikvision, a leading manufacturer of video surveillance cameras and equipment, has a Canadian subsidiary since 2014. The company strongly disagrees with the decision and views it with deep concern, stating that it lacks a factual basis, procedural fairness, and transparency. The company has fully cooperated with Canadian authorities, providing detailed documentation and proactive engagement, but the decision was imposed without presenting evidence or addressing the facts provided by the company [1].

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, noted that the Canadian government's decision has no factual basis, lacks necessary explanation and transparency, and violates the principles of fair and orderly market competition. The move will eventually backfire, as it hurts the interests of Canadian suppliers who have close business cooperation with Chinese tech companies such as Hikvision [1].

Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, added that the Canadian government is using political measures to suppress China's rise as a technological power and is cracking down on Chinese companies operating in the country by generalizing the concept of "national security". The forced shutdown of Hikvision in the Canadian market will affect the operations of upstream and downstream enterprises of related industries, which in turn will impede technological innovation and advancement in the global security sector [1].

The move goes against the basic principles of market economy and may have a negative impact on the international science and technology innovation ecosystem. The Chinese government has urged Canada to stop abusing the concept of "national security" and politicizing economic and trade issues, and to provide a fair, just, and nondiscriminatory environment for the normal operation of Chinese enterprises [1].

References:
[1] https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/614899