US to consider sanctions on China's Hikvision

Washington: The United States is moving towards imposing sanctions on Chinese video surveillance company Hikvision, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing four people familiar with the talks.

The Biden administration is considering placing human rights-related sanctions on the Chinese company, according to the report. The sanctions, if enforced, could have dire consequences for the maker of surveillance equipment, which was earlier added to a list of companies threatening U.S. national security.

Washington has already begun briefing allies, given Hikvision has customers in more than 180 countries, two of the sources told FT.

In an emailed reply to Reuters, Hikvision said the company has been and will continue to comply with the applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates.

"The mentioned potential action by the U.S. Government remains to be verified. We think any such sanction should be based on credible evidence and due process, and look forward to being treated fairly and unbiasedly," the company said.

The Federal Communications Commission in March 2021 had designated five Chinese companies, including Hikvision, as posing a threat to national security.