UK prepares to allow Huawei into 5G


A general view of the Sydney headquarters of Chinese tech company Huawei at Chatswood in Sydney, Australia, 30 January 2019.
EPA-EFE/DAN HIMBRECHTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

The UK is preparing to allow Huawei to supply 5G equipment, and resist the pressure of the United States, who is trying to push for 5G ban over security concerns.
“The market conditions are not the same in the US and UK. You could call it a market failure, but we are where we are”, a Downing Street source said.

The final decision will be made next week by the National Security Council, chaired by PM Boris Johnson, and attended by senior ministers. Sources say the UK will probably label Huawei a “high-risk vendor” and impose supply restrictions on it.

“The British public deserve to have access to the best possible technology. Now, if people oppose one brand or another, then they have to tell us what’s the alternative, right?”, Johnson previously said.

Earlier this month, US officials arrived in Britain to push for Huawei’s 5G ban. In May, the US government added Huawei to its trade blacklist, amid concerns that its 5G equipment enables the Chinese government to spy on other nations. Huawei has rejected the allegations, saying it operates independently of the ruling party of China.