A former national security adviser to UK’s former PM Theresa May, Sir Mark Lyall Grant has stated that Boris Johnson may likely defy the US clamour and give approval to the use of Huawei technology in the UK’s new 5G network.
The former national security adviser also stated that the security services had repeatedly concluded over several years that they were able to mitigate any potential threats posed by Chinese technology.
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Recall that the US had repeatedly advised the UK government and other allies about using Huawei’s 5G technology over security concerns. A US official even branded the move to use Huawei’s equipment for 5G as “madness”. Senior Washington officials have said numerous times that the Trump administration would reassess intelligence sharing with the UK in light of such a move.
UK security officials have disputed the claim and Britain have already used some Huawei technology in previous mobile networks. A final decision is expected later this month. But the dispute is seen by experts as a sign that Britain would be repeatedly asked to take a side in disputes between the US and China, Lyall Grant added. “The interesting thing about Huawei is that it is the first, but by no means the only issue on which the risk is over the next decade, we are going to be pressured to choose,” he said. “And that is a choice that on some issues the UK government is not going to want to make.”
Apart from the government, UK’s carriers are also open to using Huawei technology. Two of the major carriers Vodafone and BT were reported to have sought the government’s approval to have Huawei supply their 5G equipment.
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