MINISTERS DESPAIR AT HUAWEI’S £5m DEAL WITH TOP UK COLLEGE
Chinese will help create tech campus – raising new security fears
THE university at the heart of Britain’s fight against coronavirus will this week announce a multi-million-pound sponsorship agreement from controversial Chinese tech giant Huawei, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Imperial College London has cut a deal worth £5 million with the firm at the centre of a row over China’s influence in Britain to finance a new ‘tech hub’ on their West London campus.
The Government has relied on Imperial College’s research to form policy on fighting Covid-19. More than a dozen scientists at the university have contributed to the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies – Whitehall’s pandemic response unit.
Huawei will provide a superfast 5G internet network for the university, as well as pay for research and facilities over five years.
But the revelation last night sparked fury and reignited the fierce debate about whether the firm should be allowed to build Britain’s next generation of high-speed internet, amid espionage fears and concerns over China’s role in the Covid-19 outbreak.
There is a growing Tory revolt over Boris Johnson’s decision to allow the firm to build 35 per cent of Britain’s future 5G network and wider calls for a total overhaul of British relations with China due the virus.
Last night, Iain Duncan Smith, a leading critic of Britain’s policy toward China, branded the deal ‘ironic and dangerous’.
The former Tory leader blasted: ‘This is a perfect example of how the Chinese strategy is to use their money to insert their influence in the world’s intellectual thought process. How ironic it is Imperial that is dealing with the fallout of Covid-19. This is a deeply worrying and dangerous relationship.’
And there was anger in the Government at t he t i ming of t he announcement, with Ministers admitting they are powerless to stop the deal going ahead.
It is understood the investment in the College’s White City campus in West London has been screened by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure.
The Government announced a new National Security and Investment Bill last December, set to tighten oversight of foreign money and influence in Britain. However, last night Government sources accused the Business Department of dragging their feet over the legislation and trying to water it down.
One Minister has suggested the Huawei Imperial deal is ‘precisely why’ the new bill was needed. But a source close to Business Secretary Alok Sharma’s thinking said: ‘Huawei are not allowed near our critical national infrastructure which is why their role in 5G is limited. But if companies want to invest in parts of the UK not critical to national security that is a different matter. This will save taxpayers money.’
Imperial College London said: ‘ Like other UK universities, we have received support from Huawei for high- quality and open research for several years. Such funding is subject to our robust Relationship Review policies.’
A Huawei spokesman said: ‘We are pleased to be working with Imperial to explore how new technologies can bring economic and social value through collaboration.’