Chinese video surveillance network used by the Australian government

Another hangs outside the front entrance of the Canberra office complex that houses the Australian government's top lawyers, two federal departments focussed on national security and an Australian intelligence agency.

And then there are the hundreds of thousands of surveillance cameras in houses, on street corners, in local council offices, at schools and universities, on buses, in shopping centres and thousands of other public spaces across Australia.

Almost all of the cameras are made by two Chinese owned companies, Hikvision and Dahua. Both face long-standing accusations of spying on behalf of the Chinese Government.

"Having these sorts of cameras in secure facilities just doesn't make any sense," Fergus Hanson, head of the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said.

"It's a real dereliction of duty to have them in military bases.

"But even on the street you've got the potential to inadvertently contribute towards Chinese espionage activity by providing real time information about the situation on the ground, all over the world, and in collective terms, quite an important data feed to China."

Last month Hikvision and Dahua were banned from US government use via an amendment to a defence spending bill.

"Video surveillance and security equipment sold by Chinese companies exposes the US government to significant vulnerabilities, and my amendment will ensure that China cannot create a video surveillance network within federal agencies," the architect of the amendment, Republican congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, said.

Cameras a 'key part of Chinese espionage platformHikvision and Dahua are, respectively, the largest and the second-largest video surveillance companies in the world.

Hikvision grew out of China's military surveillance wing and the Government retains a 42 per cent stake in the company.

It is making huge strides in the fields of facial and gait recognition software via advances in artificial intelligence.

"There are some worrying examples of how the Chinese are using facial recognition and image recognition software and surveillance within their state to suppress religious minorities, to surveil their population, to keep control of their population," UNSW artificial intelligence expert, Professor Toby Walsh said.

Hikvision was criticised in May this year when it released a promotional video showing its video surveillance of a well-known tourist area in Shandong province called Mount Tai. The video includes images showing Hikvision's cameras classifying people as "ethnic minorities".

Hikvision and Dahua also form the backbone of a $US1 billion ($1.4 billion) surveillance system in China's restive north-western province of Xinjiang.

Through one of the greatest densities of security cameras on Earth, the ethnically Han Chinese Government in Beijing has created an ever-present security state that monitors the province's population of Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic minority.

The fear is that behaviour may be repeated overseas.

"China's made it very clear that their ambition is to seek economic and military dominance through the use of technology like AI [artificial intelligence]," Professor Walsh said.

"There's a constant flow of information between [private Chinese companies and the state]. I would be very worried about where some of that information might turn up."Hikvision and Dahua have been the subject of repeated allegations by Western security researchers they have deliberately installed security flaws into their systems in order to allow snooping by the Chinese state.

The flaws relate to insecure passwords and the discovery of poorly or intentionally-written code that would allow people to obtain access to the cameras' audio, pictures and metadata, all without the owner's permission.

"China's trying to set itself up as the number one country for cyber espionage, and these cameras are a key part of that platform," Mr Hanson said.

"You can remotely access them from China to another location around the world and essentially see what that camera is seeing.

"Passwords are available online. If they're not properly configured they provide all kinds of vulnerabilities.

"They're not particularly secure cameras."

The Chinese Government rejects claims it uses Chinese companies for espionage. Both Hikvision and Dahua say they are no different to video surveillance companies from other countries.

"Hikvision has never conducted, nor will conduct, any espionage-related activities for any government in the world," a Hikvision spokesperson said.

The heart of Australia's national securityThe ABC spent weeks searching for Hikvision and Dahua cameras, examining Australian government purchase records and inspecting government buildings.

The results show Hikvision and Dahua remain in use at every level of government, from some of the most sensitive federal government agencies all the way down to suburban councils.

The most serious example was a Hikvision camera discovered at one of Australia's most classified defence facilities, RAAF Base Edinburgh in Adelaide.

According to Defence SA's website, Edinburgh is "the centre of the nation's military intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare capabilities".

The Department of Defence removed the camera once it became aware of its presence.

"Should any further cameras be identified they will also be replaced," Defence told the ABC.

The Edinburgh discovery mirrors the controversy in the US last year, when the Wall Street Journal discovered Hikvision cameras installed at US Army bases and at the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The US Government also promptly removed the cameras.

The ABC also found a Dahua camera hanging directly above the entrance to a privately owned office block in the Canberra suburb of Barton that hosts some of Australia's most classified agencies.

The departments of Home Affairs and Attorney-General have offices there, as does Australia's anti-money laundering centre, AUSTRAC, and an annex of one of Australia's six intelligence agencies — the Office of National Assessments.

The camera not only watches everyone who enters and exits that building, it is also has a field of view that covers the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet headquarters.

The ABC also found a Dahua camera hanging directly above the entrance to the Canberra headquarters of the Australian Government Solicitor, the workplace for hundreds of the government's top lawyers.

The camera not only watches everyone who enters and exits that building, it is also has a field of view that covers three nearby national security agencies, including the headquarters of the Office of National Assessments, the Attorney-General's Department, and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The ABC also found a 2014 contract for "video cameras" between the best-known distributor of Hikvision in Australia, Central Security Distribution, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

When the ABC asked the AFP if that meant it was using Hikvision cameras, it declined to comment.

Several other major federal agencies, including the Australian Border Force, which operates Australia's ports and immigration system, also declined to comment about whether it used Dahua or Hikvision.

State and local governments also using Hikvision and DahuaThe federal government has a series of systems regulating what brands of security equipment government agencies can use.

ASIO and the Australian Signals Directorate also play a role in accrediting the security of government networks and security equipment.

It is unclear if Hikvision and Dahua are formally banned from government use, though their presence at secure government sites appears to be the exception, rather than the rule.

The situation is much less regulated at the state and local government level.

The ABC found dozens of Hikvision and Dahua cameras at NSW government facilities, and being used by a number of Sydney councils.

Two Hikvision and Dahua cameras were found at Sydney's major train station, Central Station.

When the agency responsible for the station, Transport for NSW, was asked what rules guided their choice of security camera providers, a spokesperson replied: "We are not in receipt of any specific advice from State or Commonwealth agencies about specific CCTV vendors."

Drones are watchingAnother field in which a Chinese company is a global leader is consumer camera drones — the camera-toting quadcopters that have become increasingly ubiquitous.

More than two out of every three consumer drones sold this year was made by Da-Jing Innovations, better known in the West as DJI.

The company's drones were increasingly being used by military and police forces around the world until August last year, when the US Army banned them due to "increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities".

In the months leading up to the US ban there was reporting by security researchers that DJI was collecting audio, visual and telemetry data on every flight of every single one of their drones, and the potential for the Chinese Government to leverage that collection was significant.

The Australian military responded to the US action within days, banning the drones.

"There were some concerns regarding the cyber security characteristics of the device," the deputy chief of information warfare, Major General Marcus Thompson, told a Senate hearing in October.

The Australian military ban was lifted two weeks later following the introduction of "revised operating procedures".

Defence declined to describe those new procedures to the ABC.

At the time of last year's ban there were about 40 DJI drones reportedly in use by the Australian military.

An ABC examination last month found that number has surged.

Navy Strategic Command alone purchased 40 DJI drones earlier this year, and one of the military's most secretive elements, Special Operations Command, purchased 10 DJI drones in May.

The AFP also uses DJI drones, as do state police services.

Surveillance 'will change the way we behave'

The military and the federal and state police all say they have they have instituted security measures to make the DJI drones safe.

However, the chief technology officer of US counter-drone tech company Department 13, Robbie Sen, said there was always a risk.

"Without knowing the changes they're making, it's always great to try and mitigate risk, but I'm suspect about blanket or absolute statements like that," he said.

"The reason why I say that is because corporations have routinely told us you can't access our drones' information — DJI is a great example — and then we do.

"Our company makes a product that essentially takes over these drones and devices, and if we can do it other people can do it, and have done it."

That, combined with the rise of AI-enhanced surveillance systems, worries people like Professor Walsh.

"It will probably have a very corrosive effect on society," he said.

"It will just change the way we behave — it's not just the way you're being surveilled, it's the fact that you know you're being surveilled.

"And that will limit what you do, and that will change, in a very bad way, the way our society operates."

PHOTO: Zhang Yangzi says he spends around a third of his monthly wage on his appearance. (Supplied: Zhang Yangzi)

Applying foundation, nose contouring and filling in eyebrows are standard practice for many women getting ready to head out.

But for many men in China and in other parts of Asia, using cosmetics is part of their routine too.

"I basically wear makeup every time I go out, and buying clothes also makes me happy," Zhang Yangzi, a 22-year-old teacher from Shanghai, told the ABC.

He said he spends about a third of his monthly income on his appearance, mainly on clothing and cosmetics.

"Perhaps I feel that makeup will make me more confident, and I think men should polish ourselves better," he added.

Mr Zhang is part of a growing trend in China, where men are displaying a softer form of masculinity, sparked by the rise of effeminate male celebrities in Chinese media and popular culture.

PHOTO: Mr Zhang poses for a photo with makeup and temporary face tattoos. (Supplied: Zhang Yangzi)

Statistics from research firm Euromonitor show the market for male grooming products is rapidly expanding in China, with a 44 per cent sales increase (in real terms) of male grooming products from 2011 to 2016.

Julia Illera, research consultant at Euromonitor International, anticipated global sales of male beauty products would continue to rise over the next five years, particularly in the Asia Pacific market.

"When looking at regions, Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region in men's grooming globally," Ms Illera told the ABC.

"Contrary to other regions, where sales of men's grooming is driven by shaving and deodorants, in Asia-Pacific, men's skincare is the largest and fastest-growing category."

'Sissy pants' boys part of a 'sickly culture': state media

Despite the growing popularity of effeminate males in Chinese youth culture, the portrayal of masculinity in Chinese media has received a strong pushback from powerful players in Beijing.

PHOTO: Hit Chinese show Meteor Garden is one series that features popular effeminate male actors. (Twitter: @MeteorGardn2018)

Last week, Chinese state media Xinhua published an editorial slamming the portrayal of men in Chinese media, claiming the popularity of the "sickly aesthetics" in effeminate celebrities was having an adverse impact on teenagers.

Xinhua said that "sissy pants" or "little fresh meats" — who they describe as effeminate young men who use makeup, are slender and wear androgynous clothing — were hurting China's national image.

"In an open and diverse society, aesthetics can be varied, and people can enjoy what they do," Xinhua's editorial said.

"However, everything should have a limit … in this case, it's no longer a matter of aesthetics, but it is an enthusiasm for ugliness and vulgarity.

"The reason why the sissy pants phenomenon arouses public antipathy is that we cannot underestimate the negative impact of this sickly culture on teenagers, who are the future of the country."

The editorial stressed that "what a society's pop culture should embrace, reject and spread is really critical to the future of the country."

PHOTO: Some young Chinese men post makeup tutorials on social media. (Supplied: Xu Xiong)

The editorial, with its use of strong derogatory terms like "sissy pants", received a mixed reaction on Chinese social media.

"It would be a country's tragedy if the whole society accepted this sissy culture and teenagers started following it. Supporting cultural diversity does not mean that this culture should become part of the mainstream," wrote one Weibo user, DRA Spider.

"It is up to the individual to decide who they want to be. Even if a boy likes to wear makeup and speak softly, it doesn't mean he has no sense of responsibility," posted another user, LiRoFi.

The comments also received strong opposition from another state media, People's Daily — which is often referred to as the China Communist Party mouthpiece — which denounced Xinhua's use of derogatory terms like "sissy pants".

"A valuation based on gender characteristics, which equates male quality with appearance, is a simplistic approach," said People's Daily.

They added that masculinity came from within, citing "courage and responsibility" and the "behaviour of abiding by the law" as more important factors of masculinity.

Soft masculinity 'threatens China's genes'

PHOTO: Dr Yu says President Xi Jinping is an example of the stronger masculinity Beijing wants to display. (AP: Li Gang)

Mr Zhang said comments from the Xinhua editors were extremely offensive to young males in China.

"The most infuriating thing is that it was actually published by the state media," Mr Zhang said.

"They should have stood in a neutral position to measure this issue, but they are now guiding the public opinion, which makes me very angry."

Associate professor at RMIT University and an expert on China's digital media and popular culture, Dr Haiqing Yu, said that while male beauty was still rejected by older generations in other countries, in China there were more political undertones to the issue.

China says its rise is peaceful

The US and China's rivalry will likely end in war, experts warn, but Beijing maintains its intentions are peaceful.

Dr Yu said Xinhua's position suggested many in positions of power were not at ease with an effeminate male image as it did not reflect China's "desire to lead, not just to follow".

"China is increasingly flexing its military and economic muscles everywhere to show the rise of China as a really powerful masculine figure, represented by the Chinese President for example," Dr Yu told the ABC.

"Beijing sees what's happening in the popular culture scenario with the 'little fresh meat' and they feel that's threatening to the future of Chinese genes and the strength of the Chinese population.

"They are even weaving this narrative that this is one of the strategies of western countries … to destroy the Chinese nation by destroying the younger generations, but I think this is just nonsense."

The rise of the 'little fresh meat'

According to Dr Yu, the modern rise of the "little fresh meat" in China flows from youth culture trends in Japan and South Korea, particularly K-Pop, J-Pop, anime and manga.

"You look at the K-pop stars, those teenage boys, they all look similar and they all wear makeup — it's them who have popularised the male cosmetics industry," Dr Yu said.

In Korea, the boys are known as "flower men" and in Japan they are referred to as Bishōnen, which translates literally to "beautiful youth boy".

"It used to be the Hollywood figures that the Chinese youth aspired to be, but now it is the Asian pop figures, and that inter-regional cultural flow impacts on how young male figures are portrayed, represented and shaped in the popular culture of China," Dr Yu said.

Ms Illera said the "high exposure to social media and powerful celebrity influence" in the Asia-Pacific region drove the sales of male skincare products.

"Skincare regimens in Asia-Pacific are largely being driven by look-conscious consumers and characterised by gender blurriness, with unisex products such as cosmetics, including lip tints, BB/CC creams and mascara in high demand," Ms Illera said.

"Young males perceive South Korean celebrities as new role models for styling … and actively copy their style to look and feel special."

She added that high levels of social media use and exposure to global grooming styles had led to the dismantling of "boundaries between male and female beauty."

PHOTO: Actor Lawrence Wong says the effeminate male look is probably just a trend. (Supplied: Lawrence Wong)

Speaking to ABC's The World, Lawrence Wong, star of China's immensely popular drama series The Story of Yanxi Palace, said the popularity of the effeminate image was something that he saw while working across Asia in recent years.

"I think it's just a trend; if it doesn't appeal to you, it doesn't appeal to you — if it appeals to you, it appeals to you," Mr Wong said.

"It is probably just a phase, a trend. Trends come, trends pass."

Dr Yu added that the marketing push from western brands like L'Oreal and Nivea and Asian-based products like South Korea's Laneige has been key to the wider adoption of male beauty in China.

"China's market is huge, particularly the male one," she said.

"Foreign brands are thinking that if just 2/10 males use the product, then that will be a huge amount of sales."

PHOTO: Laneige features a range of creams, moisturisers and concealers for the male market. (Reuters: Bobby Yip)

Ms Illera said this was part of a worldwide trend in the industry, with brands starting to target products to the male market.

"Some brands are using male beauty bloggers such as L'Oreal featuring Gary Thompson, whilst brands like Covergirl cosmetics have introduced their first male spokesperson using makeup artist James Charles," she said.

Chinese youth want greater self-expression

Dr Yu also pointed to the wider desire for self-expression in Chinese youth culture, particularly the push for greater gender equality and a fight for LGBT rights, as a factor in the development of the male image.

Beijing has been strict against LGBT content in the media, controversially censoring Ireland's gay love song during the Eurovision 2018 broadcast and attempting to censor LGBT content on social media sites.

"More visibility of LGBT people from the screen to social media has played a role in disrupting traditional gender roles," Dr Yu said.

"It has happened in the west and also happened in China despite the strict censorship environment."

PHOTO: Mr Zhang is an example of the "sissy pants" boys criticised by Xinhua. (Supplied: Zhang Yangzi)

But despite the attempts to control the image of young Chinese males, Mr Wong said there is more than enough space in the Chinese market for many portrayals of masculinity.

"China is a huge country, with all sorts of people. Different people appeal to different audiences, I think the market is big enough for all types of male artists, younger ones, older ones," Mr Wong said.

Mr Zhang said the Government should stop trying to manipulate the image of its citizens.

"Everyone has the right to wear makeup or not to do so," Mr Zhang said.

"You have the right to do anything, but you really have no right to impose your value on others."