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Britain Fears Chinese Government Retaliation Over Huawei, 5G Network

Jamie Dettmer

   Fears are mounting in Britain about possible Chinese government
   retaliation in the wake of an expected announcement Tuesday blocking
   Chinese tech giant Huawei from playing any role in the development of
   Britain's next generation 5G phone network.

   British leaders worry their country may become the target of a possible
   cyberattack similar to one that hit Australia last month and that
   Australian government agencies suspect was sponsored by Beijing.

   Britain's culture minister, Oliver Dowden, is expected to announce in
   the House of Commons Tuesday that Huawei is to be denied any 5G role.

   Banning Huawei, a flagship Chinese telecom company, will mark a sharp
   policy reversal and likely worsen the deteriorating relations between
   the two countries. Chinese officials, including Beijing's ambassador to
   Britain, Liu Xiaoming, have underscored for weeks that there will be
   repercussions in the event Huawei is excluded.

   In recent weeks, tensions between London and Beijing have been
   escalating quickly over a Chinese security clampdown on Hong Kong, a
   former British colony transferred to China in 1997. To Beijing's anger,
   Britain announced Hong Kong residents would be allowed to move to
   Britain to escape the crackdown. The two governments have clashed also
   over Britain's backing of an independent probe into the origins of the
   coronavirus.

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