From Sardar Shahab
London: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to ban Huawei from Britain’s 5G network on Tuesday, angering China but delighting US President Donald Trump by signalling that the world’s biggest telecoms equipment maker is no longer welcome in the West.
The United States has pushed Johnson to reverse his January decision to grant Huawei a limited role in 5G, while London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong and the perception China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus. Now, as Britain prepares to cast off from the European Union, Johnson will risk the ire of the world’s second-largest economy by ordering a purge of Huawei equipment which the US says could be used to spy on the West.
Johnson chaired a meeting of Britain’s National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday morning to discuss Huawei. Media Secretary Oliver Dowden was set to announce the decision to the House of Commons at around 1130 GMT. The immediate excuse for the about-turn in policy is the impact of new US sanctions on chip technology, which London says affects Huawei’s ability to remain a reliable supplier.
“Obviously the context has changed slightly with some of the sanctions that the US has brought in,” Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News when asked about Huawei.
