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Britain's Huawei Ban Resets Relations With China

Jamie Dettmer

   British officials are bracing for fierce Chinese government reaction
   and possible retaliation to Britain's decision Tuesday to block Chinese
   tech giant Huawei from playing any role in the development of Britain's
   next generation 5G phone network.
   Britain's culture minister, Oliver Dowden, told the House of Commons of
   the decision to banish Huawei from the network, saying any of the
   company's components already installed will have to be removed from the
   network by 2027.
   The major policy U-turn is prompting fears in Downing Street that
   Britain may become the target of a possible China-sponsored cyberattack
   similar to one that struck Australia last month amid heightened
   tensions between Canberra and Beijing.
   Chinese officials, including Beijing's ambassador to London, have
   maintained a chorus of warnings in recent months, threatening serious
   consequences if Huawei, one of China's flagship companies, is excluded
   from participation in developing Britain's 5G network.
   A Trump victory
   Tuesday's announcement is seen by analysts and diplomats as a big win
   for the Trump administration which, along with other Western allies,
   has been lobbying Britain for more than a year to block Huawei from
   Britain's 5G wireless network on security grounds.
   In January, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to allow
   Huawei a role in the development of the fast-speed network, limiting
   the company's participation to just 35%. But U.S. officials -- as well
   their Australian counterparts -- continued to lobby London to block
   Huawei altogether.
   U.S. officials say there is a significant risk that the company, which
   has close ties to the Chinese intelligence services and was founded by
   a former Chinese army officer, will act as a Trojan horse for Beijing's
   espionage agencies, allowing them to sweep up data.
   Dowden told British lawmakers: "We have not taken this decision lightly
   and I must be frank about the decision's consequences for every
   constituency in this country; this will delay our roll-out of 5G." The
   British government acknowledges the move will delay the rollout of 5G
   in the by two to three years and increase costs by at least $2.5
   billion.

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