US makes final plea for Boris Johnson government to block Huawei from UK’s 5G network
- Britain is currently weighing whether to use Huawei equipment as part of its 5G infrastructure
- Senior US officials reportedly handed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government a “dossier” of evidence against Huawei
Senior US officials visited London on Monday with a last-ditch plea that Boris Johnson’s government not allow Huawei Technologies to supply equipment for its 5G broadband networks, warning that US intelligence-sharing could be at risk.
The delegation, led by deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger and including officials from the State Department, argued that there was no way the UK could mitigate the security risks from such a network, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Britain is currently weighing whether to use Huawei equipment as part of its 5G infrastructure. Supporters argue that the company’s equipment can be used in noncore areas in a way that keeps the network secure. But the US warns that the effects of the leap to 5G technology are so poorly understood that the safest and best solution is to keep the Chinese company out altogether.
As some of the gear has already been installed, companies warn that a full ban would delay the roll-out of 5G and cost hundreds of millions of pounds. It would also potentially put into doubt Johnson’s pledge to deliver 5G to most of the country by 2027.
UK newspapers reported Monday that Pottinger’s team had handed Johnson’s government a “dossier” of evidence against Huawei.
Proposed bill bans US from sharing info with countries that use Huawei 5G
But it may not impress. Speaking in September on condition of anonymity, British intelligence officers said that there was nothing the US knew about the company that Britain did not. Andrew Parker, the head of the domestic Security Service MI5, told the Financial Times this month that he had “no reason” to believe intelligence-sharing with the US would be harmed by a decision to allow Huawei in.
Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The prime minister’s spokesman told reporters earlier only that a decision would come “in due course.” The US believes that with the general election out of the way, it is imminent.
The road to a UK decision has been long and controversial. Some officials have pushed for tough restrictions as a result of concerns over foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure, while others said this would saddle the telecommunications industry with extra costs and delay technological upgrades.
Huawei has become a lightning rod for tensions between the US and Europe over trade and security policy as Washington threatens reprisals against any governments that allow Chinese equipment to form part of the crucial ultra-fast networks.
