China’s ambassador yesterday hinted at retaliation over the ‘disappointing and wrong’ decision to strip Huawei out of Britain’s 5G network – adding it was ‘questionable’ if the UK can be an ‘open and fair’ business environment for firms from other countries
China’s ambassador yesterday hinted at retaliation over the ‘disappointing and wrong’ decision to strip Huawei out of Britain’s 5G network – adding it was ‘questionable’ if the UK can be an ‘open and fair’ business environment for firms from other countries.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said all of the firm’s existing 5G technology will be stripped out by 2027 in a move which represents a major U-turn after the Government said in January that Huawei would be allowed to help build the infrastructure.
Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to the UK, tweeted: ‘Disappointing and wrong decision by the UK on Huawei.
‘It has become questionable whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from other countries.’
The reaction from China signals a reversal in relations since former prime minister David Cameron heralded a ‘golden era’ between the two countries less than five years ago.
Huawei labelled the move ‘disappointing’ and said it was ‘bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone’ as the company argued its future in Britain had become ‘politicised’.
Under the Government’s plans telecoms firms will be prohibited from purchasing any new Huawei 5G equipment after December 31 this year and all of its hardware will be removed from the network over the next seven years.
The decision, agreed by the National Security Council this morning, will delay the completion of the rollout of the network by more than two years and increase costs by up to £2 billion.
The decision was made by the NSC after an assessment of the impact of new US sanctions imposed on Huawei.
The US has long urged its allies not to use Huawei’s technology because of national security concerns – concerns which have always been rejected by the company.
Woody Johnson, the US ambassador to the UK, welcomed the decision to exclude Huawei from the 5G network and tweeted: ‘Britain’s decision to protect its national security by banning Huawei from its 5G network is also a win for fair trade and human rights.’
Mr Dowden said the sanctions imposed by the US meant the UK can ‘no longer be confident it will be able to guarantee the security of future Huawei 5G equipment’.
The announcement came on the same day it emerged Huawei’s UK chairman is to step down early. Lord Browne’s term was due to end in March but the former BP boss is now expected to depart in September.
The decision to ban Huawei will spark Chinese government fury with Beijing having already warned Downing Street it would face ‘consequences’ if it pressed ahead with excluding the company.
But the change in tack delighted Tory MPs who have been pressuring the Government for months to reverse the decision it made in January.
However, Conservative backbenchers immediately called for ministers to go even further as they said the seven year timetable for removing equipment must be speeded up.
They also expressed concerns after the Government said Huawei equipment in the UK’s 3G and 4G networks will not be stripped out because it is not judged to be a security risk.
The firm’s technology will also not be removed from the UK’s full fibre broadband network but there will be a technical consultation conducted on moving away from using Huawei in full fibre in the future.
Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to the UK, tweeted yesterday: ‘Disappointing and wrong decision by the UK on Huawei’
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden today announced that Huawei technology is to be stripped out of the UK’s 5G network by the end of 2027
The Huawei ban follows intense pressure from Donald Trump to deny China a foothold in the West’s critical infrastructure.
Tough American sanctions have prevented the firm from using any US-patented technology in its microchips
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