Great article and great comments.
Lots to consider.
There is a whole discussion over the actual (potential) problems with a using a state-owned manufacturer of something so sensitive as CCTV cameras.
@DavidWatkins is right with the analogy of the fox guarding the hens and its important to remember as professionals we have a right to serve the customer. They pay us to provide them with the correct information and a solution that provides peace of mind.
So to answer expand on the question posed by @JayHobdy
"Would a customer want to know that the security system you/someone else is fitting is majoritively owned by the Chinese state government and the manufacturers themselves refer to them in a legal document as having significant influence over the business and their interests may not be aligned with the that of others?"
We could debate the questions of whether a Chinese state owned CCTV company is good/bad but really it comes down to customer perception.
Tie into that a questionable response on their back door P2P Port Forwarding (if explained clearly enough that the customer understands the implications) and I think that's enough information to make the majority of customers question why the kit is so cheap. Because someone is benefiting somewhere.
Some customers just won't care I know. But if positioned correctly, this is a formidable argument for any installer to justify their stance on why the choose another supplier over HIK.
To lead on from comments on Dahua being Chinese number #2. The fact is so much CCTV equipment is Chinese made. Along with even more non-security tech.
Being Chinese manufactured is a different argument to Chinese State-owned. I feel its unjust to tar any Chinese manufacturer with the same brush.
We put off fitting HIK since it's been out. But over recent years it has crept into the bottom end of some of our installs. But applied information is power and this article goes a long way to empower installers to make better-informed decisions and pass on this knowledge to teams so everyone knows.
But most importantly.
The end users need to know.
As the article said, HIK paints a different picture in Europe and I imagine the USA,
Than the truth it displays back home.
Installers have more power making a stance and having an opinion for why they dont believe something serves them, their industry or customers, than just fitting a product because its cheap.