Huawei blasts UK ban decision ‘disappointing, politicized’
Chinese technology giant Huawei has censured as “disappointing and politicized” a decision by the UK to ban the company’s 5G network equipment.
On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be completely purged from Britain's 5G network by the end of 2027.
The Chinese telecoms giant's UK spokesman Ed Brewster said London had reacted to pressure from Washington rather than security concerns.
The Huawei official blasted the move as "disappointing," saying, "Regrettably, our future in the UK has become politicized, this is about US trade policy, not security."
China's ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming also denounced the decision as "disappointing and wrong,” saying, "It has become questionable whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from other countries.”
The ban comes nearly two weeks after London described Huawei as a potentially hostile state vendor. Beijing has warned to retaliate, threatening to open a new front in the China-UK rift.
US hails British ban on China's Huawei
Meanwhile, the United States praised Britain's decision on Tuesday to order the phased removal of Huawei from its 5G network.
"We welcome news that the United Kingdom plans to ban Huawei from future 5G networks and phase out untrusted Huawei equipment from existing networks," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with our British friends on fostering a secure and vibrant 5G ecosystem, which is critical to transatlantic security and prosperity," he said.
Huawei — considered the world leader in superfast 5G equipment and the world's number two smartphone producer — has been under relentless pressure from Washington, which has lobbied allies worldwide to avoid the company’s telecom gear over security concerns, in the shadow of a wider US-China trade conflict.
Washington has repeatedly accused the Chinese tech giant of a "decades-long" effort to steal trade secrets from American companies. Huawei has time and again denied the accusations.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has blacklisted Huawei to block the company from getting any US telecom equipment contracts and prevent the transfer of American technology to the Chinese firm.
Washington accuses Huawei of providing Beijing with a way to spy on communications from the countries that use its products and services.
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