Editorial | Boris Johnson may still be trying to be flexible over Huawei ban
- Britain’s policy U-turn to ban gear supplied by the Chinese telecoms giant from its 5G networks meets the demands of an insistent Washington
- But with the phase-out scheduled over seven years, another US administration and new technologies may offer the British prime minister a very different political and technical landscape
Over Huawei, Britain has to choose whether to maintain longer-term relations with China or follow the demands of an insistent Washington. In its policy U-turn, it has, perhaps unavoidably, picked the latter.
The security threats posed by the Chinese telecoms giant have always been exaggerated, but the United States has made it a loyalty test of its closest allies to impose a total ban on Huawei as it escalates hostilities against China on multiple fronts.
The latest blanket ban means Britain will phase out Huawei 5G gear from all its networks by 2027.
It remains to be seen how much goodwill Westminster will earn from Washington; it will certainly invite a retaliatory response from Beijing. The decision reverses a previous go-ahead for Huawei to play a limited role in supplying noncore equipment to Britain’s 5G networks, creating a possible fallout of bilateral relations with China.
The two countries are at loggerheads over a range of issues, including Beijing’s introduction of the national security law in Hong Kong and Britain’s offer of possible citizenship to some Hong Kong residents.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had hoped previously to show certain flexibility over Huawei by limiting the company’s 5G supply without completely cutting it off. That was roughly the stance taken by major British telecoms companies which have been using Huawei for many years.