A group of senators from the United States is urging the UK Government to reconsider its current plans to allow Huawei access to building part of the nation’s 5G mobile network over concerns of the firm’s close links with the Chinese government that potentially pose a security risk according to allies.
In a letter to MPs, the group of US politicians from across the political spectrum including both Democrats and Republicans expressed their “significant concern” with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to allow the Chinese company a role in the infrastructure, all be it a limited role.
The concerned officials say Huawei has close links to the Chinese government and its equipment could be used for espionage purposes, this something the company has always denied however it has been exposed in the past the firm has close ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) the ruling Party in China.
US President Donald J. Trump was reported to have been “apoplectic” with Prime Minister Johnson in a phone call last month after the government pushed ahead with allowing Huawei to build 5G networks despite concerns already being raised by numerous allies including the US and Australia.
Mr Johnson confirmed that the Chinese firm would plan a role in the UK’s 5G infrastructure with it being limited due to a series of conditions attached on the company’s involvement, including a 35% cap on “high-risk” vendors accessing non-sensitive parts of the network.
In the letter, the senators wrote: “The UK government’s action to curb the activity of high-risk entities like Huawei will not go far enough to mitigate the full landscape of serious security threats.
“It is our understanding that the security and privacy risks surrounding Huawei technology cannot be effectively mitigated because of the unique software dependencies of 5G.
“While banning companies like Huawei from the UK’s ‘core’ 5G network infrastructure may address some security threats, in practice it could prove very challenging, if not impossible, to separate ‘core’ equipment from that considered to be on the periphery.”
The letter’s signatories include senior politicians such as Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate, as well as former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
The cross-party group has called for the US and UK, along with other allies, to “work together” to devise a strategy to remove Huawei and other “high-risk vendors” from network infrastructure.
Many MPs have slammed the PM’s plans with his fellow Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, claiming the UK was being used as a “pawn” in China’s geopolitical “game” to divide its opponents.
UNN is a truly alternative news organisation delivering live shows, articles, outside broadcasts and so much more! We desperately need your support to continue each month and you can support our work by Clicking Here Now and SUBSCRIBING to show your support for Real News!
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
[sibwp_form id=4]
