India-Pakistan Tensions Cast Light on China's Surveillance Network

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EU Accuses China of Cyber Espionage in Czech Republic; Chinese CCTVs Under Scrutiny in India

By TRH News Desk

NEW DELHI, May 28, 2025 – On the same day India placed Chinese CCTV cameras under scrutiny for potential surveillance risks, the European Union formally accused Chinese state-linked actors of conducting cyber-espionage against the Czech Republic. Amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions, security analysts are now focusing on China’s alleged sharing of real-time intelligence with Islamabad.

Ashwini Mahajan, co-convenor of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), launched a social media campaign opposing the procurement of Chinese-made CCTV cameras. A parliamentary response from 2001 cited in recent reports revealed that over a million CCTV cameras installed in India had been sourced from China. According to a Reuters report, India is now mandating laboratory testing of foreign-made CCTV systems to determine whether they form part of China’s alleged surveillance infrastructure.

“The European Union and its Member States, together with international partners, stand in solidarity with Czechia regarding the malicious cyber campaign that targeted its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Czechia has determined that the cyber-attack was perpetrated by Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31), which is associated with China’s Ministry of State Security,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

In an official statement, Kallas added: “Malicious cyber activities in recent years, linked to this country (China) and targeting the EU and its Member States, have increased. In 2021, we urged Chinese authorities to take action against such activities originating from their territory.”

“Since then, several Member States have attributed similar activities at their national levels. We have repeatedly raised our concerns during bilateral engagements and will continue to do so,” added Kallas, a known critic of China.

Security analysts in India contend that China has violated the “five tests of mutuality” outlined by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Trust—considered the cornerstone of mutuality—has been eroded, they argue, with allegations that China shared intelligence, including satellite imagery, with Pakistan during the recent four-day conflict between the two South Asian nations.

While India has taken visible action against Turkey—seen as part of an ongoing economic standoff—voices like those of the SJM are now rising in opposition to China as well. Geopolitical observers are also questioning whether India acted prematurely in initiating the normalization of relations with China after the BRICS Summit held in Kazan, Russia, last year.

After a five-year hiatus, India and China resumed high-level delegation talks. According to a former Indian diplomat, China had a clear incentive: it sought India’s support as a buffer amid an anticipated trade war with the United States. However, the diplomat noted that there was no compelling reason for India to soften its stance and allow China to “normalize” the military standoff in Galwan, eastern Ladakh.