Huawei confusion

Headlines: ‘‘UK: London Signals a Challenge to Washington’s Hard Line on Huawei’’

Or do they?

If one takes the trouble to read the British declaration then clearly the headlines are totally misleading.

What was actually stated is quite different. For example, what was actually stated was: ‘‘United Kingdom, however, appear to challenge the US stance that Huawei’’

‘‘National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) downplayed the alleged dangers of using 5G network gear from the Chinese tech giant on the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, concluding that it was possible to mitigate the risks that equipment made by the company might pose.’’

‘‘Two trans-Atlantic allies might soon be coming to a head over Huawei’’

‘‘British foreign intelligence service MI6, who suggested late last week that the United Kingdom could take a softer line on Huawei than the United States.’’

Personally I think that this is more to do with Brexit than 5 Eyes. I have no sympathy for the British, who during the glory days of the Empire, cultivated the NZ economy to create a food-bowl for the UK and then dropped us like a hot-potato when they got a better offer from the newly formed EU, leaving us to find alternative markets.

However I do have sympathy for Teresa May who was opposed to Brexit right at the start, then after the Referendum, has done her very best to comply with her people’s wishes. The cynics, of course, will argue that she has deliberately sabotaged the proposed agreement, but I have yet see read any alternatives being proposed by her critics.

Brian Main, Hamilton