I’m grateful to Alan Morrison of Celtic By Numbers for bringing my attention to this potentially worrying commercial relationship at Celtic.
Professor Chadwick is a noted expert in his field.
For context, this deal was signed two years ago when Mr Lawwell was still the Chief Executive at the Parkhead club.
Back then, it was the bottom line and then, well, the bottom line that was king at Celtic.
All other considerations, including the players that the manager wanted, were a poor second.
As you know, that approach didn’t end well.
Dahua was sanctioned by the US Government in 2019 for human rights violations.
Yet Celtic signed the sponsorship deal in 2020.
Prima facie, this new product looks like dream technology for an Orwellian state that is persecuting an ethnic minority.
“Xinjiang/Tibet detection”.
Good grief.
Now, there’s no suggestion that it is installed at Parkhead or will be in the future.
However, is this the sort of company that Celtic want to be in business with?
A shareholder who is intending to attend the club’s upcoming AGM asked me if there was anything that he could ask the chaps at the top table.
Well, some clarification on this might be helpful.
Addendum
Since this piece was published, two individuals have contacted me to say that this contract has been terminated.
I have approached the club on this matter for confirmation.
If this is the case, then there is no doubt that a contract was entered into with Dahua a year AFTER the Chinese company was sanctioned by the US Government for human rights issues.
This represents, at the very least, a massive lapse in judgement by the people taking decisions at Celtic in 2020.
If the club responds to me, then I will publish it here.
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Xi Jing Ping has authorised ethnic genocide against the Uighur minority. The treatment is horrific. The tech companies in China have been instrumental in this persecution. Whether or not the company was sanctioned by the US is irrelevant. Shocking that Celtic signed this deal for a few blood stained dollars.
The very Idea of the USA sanctioning ANYONE on human rights is utterly risible.
Glass houses and stones spring to mind.
I certainly would have reservations about this type of commercial relationship, now and in the future
I thought you would be a person to not believe the Imperialist lies about so called genocide in north west china, It had a genuine Terrorism problem after 9/11 as it shares a border with Afghanistan, The Islamic jihadis as we know were trained by the USA during the Russ/Afghanistan war and continues today in Syria with USA funding the ISIL terrorists, The main perpetrator of the Lie about the Uighor genocide goes by the Name of Adrian Zen and a USA funded NGO East Turkistan freedom party
Not to be confused with Cardinal Zen.
Anyway, it’s actually Zenz.
Bit surprised here that any human rights pronouncements from the USA War Cartel are taken as Gospel.Their latest useful idiots in Ukraine show they will not stop with War threats that sell weapons.The Australians are being set up as the next useful idiots.
It would be hoped fans boycott the stadium so they don’t get persecuted in the first place,Celtic will soon stop using it .
Watching the news of the Chinese Party Congress I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance between Peter Lawwell and Xi jinping! Maybe the sharp suited man’s plan for world domination is still on track and this deal is his key step.
No room for that type of kit at Celtic Park, absolute disgrace if it does go head #MasksOn #VisorsDown
Can it suss out knuckle-dragging sevconians though?
If the technology exists then it will be used; they won’t put the genie back in the bottle.
1984 biting us on the bum yet again! HH
That is indeed worrying stuff… Okay it may be used for good stuff now, where does it end? And what’s to stop an outfit so dodgy even the Americans gave them a telling off from using the good stuff as a sort of Trojan horse and installing tech that could be used for really dark stuff (with or without Celtic knowing)?
Seriously?
The USA has been desperately fighting a losing economic battle with China and, if it gave a flying fig about Human Rights it would uphold them itself and its various proxies e.g. Israel.
Its hypocrisy on this issue was roundly defeated recently by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Still, our gallant allies in Europe will forgo cheap energy and buy grotesquely overpriced USA products to the fuel impoverishment of its citizens and enrichment of the USA (nb an economic rival).
I wonder if the technology can detect WMDs, which might have saved 1 million Iraqi souls but who gives a damn for them, certainly not the USA and nor its lapdogs.