Britain set to make crunch decision on Huawei’s 5G future in country within days

A crackdown on Huawei would further escalate tensions between London and Beijing, which are already under strain over Hong Kong and Covid-19
Until now, the PM had proposed allowing Huawei to play a part in Britain’s 5G development, subject to strict conditions including a 35 per cent cap

Huawei

Bloomberg

Published: 2:22pm, 11 Jul 2020

Why you can trust SCMP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s most senior security advisers will meet on Tuesday to decide on Huawei’s future in the country, as officials draw up plans to cut the company out of 5G mobile networks.

According to people familiar with the matter, Britain’s National Security Council is set to assess the findings of a review which concluded new US sanctions mean Huawei will have to use technology that is not trusted, making 5G security risks impossible to control.

Huawei could feel chill wind in Europe if UK decides to block it

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has promised to update parliament on the final decision and could make a statement in the House of Commons immediately after the NSC meeting on July 14. A spokesman for Johnson’s office declined to comment.

A crackdown on Huawei would further escalate tensions between London and Beijing, which are already under strain over China’s new security law for Hong Kong and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

China has warned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, centre, that the country will face repercussions over its Huawei decisions. Photo: EPA

Even though China has warned Johnson he will face repercussions, the British government is planning to speed up the removal of the company’s kit from emerging networks. Officials have started work on a blueprint to start phasing out Huawei’s equipment from 5G as soon as this year.

If the NSC confirms this course of action, it would mark a reversal by Johnson’s administration, which in January cleared Huawei to participate in the Britain’s 5G networks, despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to ban the company.

The numbers that show it’s hard for the UK to ditch Huawei

Until now, Johnson had proposed to allow Huawei to play a part in the development of 5G, subject to strict conditions including a 35 per cent cap on its involvement and a bar on its gear being used in parts of networks deemed sensitive. Ministers had said Britain needed diversity in its suppliers, and any risks involved in using Chinese equipment could be mitigated.

But the decision was opposed by Trump’s administration, which wanted Johnson to impose an outright ban on the Shenzhen-based tech giant, citing concerns that its equipment could be vulnerable to infiltration by Chinese spies, something the company has always denied.

The British government has started to seek out alternate vendors, such as South Korea’s Samsung. Photo: DPA

The British prime minister also faced growing opposition from politicians within his own Conservative Party who voiced security concerns.

The US imposed new sanctions on Huawei which put its microchip supply in jeopardy and prompted Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre to begin a fresh review of the company’s role.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told members of parliament on June 30 that US sanctions are intended “to make 5G designed by Huawei very hard to do”. Dowden, the culture secretary, said the sanctions were “likely to have an impact on the viability of Huawei as a provider for the 5G network.”

During a recent call with reporters, Victor Zhang, a Huawei vice-president, said the UK should not be “hasty” in making a decision, adding US sanctions are “completely unjustified.”

05:22

Huawei founder on cybersecurity and maintaining key component supply chains under US sanctions

“The restrictions by the US administration will take months to fully understand,” he said. “The fact is, it is too early to assess their long-term impact. This means it is also premature to make a considered judgment on our ability to deliver next generation connectivity across the UK.”

The British government has already said Huawei should not be part of the country’s 5G networks in the long term and officials were seeking to involve alternative vendors, including South Korea’s Samsung.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Decision looms on Huawei’s role in 5GFaces July 14 Decision Day Over Its Role in U.K. 5G

Post