Chinese hi-tech security firms eager to explore Mexico market

MEXICO CITY - Chinese manufacturers of hi-tech security systems are looking to expand their business in Mexico by exhibiting their most advanced products.

The 2018 Mexico Security Expo in Mexico City, held on April 24-26, was one such platform, attracting 350 international suppliers of security solutions, from tactical vehicles to surveillance drones.

"Mexico is very important to us," said Xia Chengjie, director of Dahua Technology's North Latin America office.

Xia said with many people in Mexico saying they don't feel safe, Dahua, as a global manufacturer of security products, can help curb crimes.

Headquartered in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou and with 42 offices in other countries, Dahua's latest security solution "Safe City" is a system of surveillance cameras that can be used to detect traffic violations and even catch suspects with its sophisticated facial recognition technology.

Safe City is currently used in Mexico City and two other states in the country and the company hopes to expand business with more local governments and corporations.

Cesar Zapata is a buyer keenly interested in the facial recognition technology and smart transit solutions, which have proved effective in reducing traffic accidents in China.

Zapata switched suppliers eight years ago after he discovered the technological and service advantages offered by Chinese firms.

In the past, smart systems required various gadgets. Today, a single camera can carry out intelligent analysis, Zapata said. "We have gone beyond simple surveillance," he said.

Hikvision Digital Technology, a Hangzhou-based video surveillance supplier that saw $6.65 billion in sales in 2017, brought its new artificial intelligence-enabled surveillance system that not only gathers data but also processes the images the camera captures.

"The system uses all the information from the cameras to process the analytics and provide the intelligence to resolve specific needs," Hikvision's marketing manager in Mexico, Maria Francisca Sanchez, told Xinhua.

The company provides surveillance systems to schools, businesses and transportation systems in several countries, investing up to eight percent of its annual revenue in research and development in China and North America.

One year ago, Hikvision opened several offices in Mexico and other countries in Latin America to provide support to its distributor and customers.

"Mexico is a very important Latin American market," Sanchez said, calling the expo the most important of its kind in Mexico. "That's why we had to participate," she said.