Move to hamper 5G drive
UK ‘shouldn't bow to US pressure on Huawei'
It won't be smart for the UK to reverse its policy under US pressure and kick Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei out of its 5G rollout, as media reports claim. The nation can't afford the implications, from the industry impact to the harm done to the mutual trust in China-UK ties, experts warn.
The British government is conducting a new review into the impact of allowing Huawei equipment to be used in British 5G networks with the involvement of the National Cyber Security Center, the BBC reported.
Separately, The Telegraph reported on Friday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to reduce the role of Huawei in the UK's 5G network in the coming years, and Johnson has instructed officials to draft plans that would reduce Huawei's involvement in building the UK's 5G phone network to zero by 2023.
Victor Zhang, Huawei's vice president, said in a statement sent to the
Global Times on Tuesday, “We've seen the reports from unnamed sources which simply don't make sense. The government decided in January to approve our part in the 5G rollout, because the UK needs the best possible technologies, more choices, innovation and more suppliers, all of which mean more secure and more resilient networks.”
The UK decided in January to let Huawei continue its role in the country's 5G networks, but with restrictions – the company was excluded from providing the “core” 5G gears, despite pressure from the US to crack down on the Chinese firm.
Huawei has operated in the UK for 20 years. “Our priority has been to help mobile and broadband companies keep the UK connected, which in this current health crisis has been more vital than ever,” Zhang said.
If the UK finally chooses to bow to pressure from the US, which is relentlessly squeezing Huawei, by playing the Chinese firm as its shield card, it would be a mistake and a case of playing with fire for the UK, industry insiders told the Global Times.
If the UK government decides to phase Huawei telecom equipment out, it means its mobile operators need to face a cost surge of up to hundreds of millions of pounds in terms of construction, operation and maintenance, said Ma Jihua, an industry veteran analyst. Three out of four of the UK's mobile networks – Vodafone, EE and Three – had already decided to use and have deployed Huawei's 5G equipment.
“UK has always wanted to be a frontrunner in Europe in 5G, but progress is seriously hampered by the COVID-19 crisis. If Huawei is not allowed to play its role, that would only make the situation worse – the UK's 5G development could be stalled,” Ma noted.
“If situation worsens, the possibility that Huawei moves its headquarters in the UK to continental Europe cannot be ruled out, which could have a huge negative impact on the island country. Many Chinese firms are likely to follow Huawei's move and leave the UK market,” said Ma.