U.K. official: Huawei risks manageable

LONDON — President Donald Trump’s administration has spent a year trying to convince America’s allies in Europe that the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is a grave threat to their national security and should not be allowed any role in developing new wireless networks.

Ciaran Martin, who leads Britain’s National Cyber Security Center, expressed confidence Wednesday at a conference in Brussels that any security risks Huawei posed could be managed.

Britain, Martin noted, has successfully managed the company’s presence in the country’s telecommunications networks for more than 15 years by subjecting its products to strict security reviews at a laboratory run by government intelligence officials, adding it would continue to do so.

“Our regime is arguably the toughest and most rigorous oversight regime in the world for Huawei,” he said. He added that the company’s equipment “is not in any sensitive networks, including those of the government. Its kit is part of a balanced supply chain with other suppliers.”

As Britain’s cellphone carriers begin to build 5G networks, officials are considering if, and how, Huawei fits into the effort. With a final decision expected by the end of the year, Martin’s remarks suggest the British government is unmoved by the Trump administration’s offensive against the company.