Beijing Urges Australia To Be Fair To Chinese Firms

Beijing on Thursday expressed the hope that Australia will provide a fair environment for Chinese companies, in response to Canberra's announcement it is reviewing Chinese-made cameras in defence offices.

Australia's defence minister said earlier that the government will examine surveillance technology used in offices of the defence department, amid reports that Chinese-made cameras installed there posed a security risk.

"We hope Australia will provide a fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for the normal operations of Chinese enterprises," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

She accused Canberra of "misusing national might to discriminate against and suppress Chinese enterprises".

At least 913 Chinese-made cameras have been installed across more than 250 Australian government buildings, according to official figures compiled by opposition politician James Paterson.

He said this includes offices and facilities belonging to the departments of defence, foreign affairs and finance, as well as the attorney-general's department. (Reuters/AFP)