Analysts hail UK report on Huawei
▶ Conclude Britain can mitigate risks of firm’s 5G network equipment
Chinese analysts hailed the UK’s move to deal with concerns about risks of cooperating with Huawei in 5G through technical measures, and said the UK has set an example for other European countries on the issue to prevent the effects of the US.
Zhang Chi, a Chinese telecommunications industry observer, said a Huewei offcial in the UK told him that the UK set up a special testing center composed of working staff from Huawei and technological officials from the UK and headed by the latter, which was one of the ways to limit the risks of using Huawei mentioned in a Financial Times report on Monday.
“Such a facility runs a thorough, transparent examination of Huawei’s device and operating code, and Huawei products can only enter the UK’s network after passing such tests,” Zhang told the Global Times on Monday, and such a testing system is where the UK draws confidence from in terms of managing risks.
“In the era of globalization, China will embrace the world with open arms. We also expect the UK to maintain its true nature of opening and making wise choices based on its own interests and work with China to bring more benefits to the Chinese and British people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a routine press conference on Monday.
Financial Times said that the UK National Cyber Security Centre had determined that there are ways to limit the risks of using Huawei in future 5G ultra-fast networks, citing officials familiar with the matter.
Such a decision dealt “a serious blow to US efforts to persuade allies to ban the Chinese supplier from high-speed telecommunications systems,” the report said.
One person familiar with the debate said the British conclusion would “carry great weight” with European leaders, since the UK has access to sensitive US intelligence through its membership in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network, the FT reported.
Zhang said that the UK had been concerned about the risks of using Huawei because of warnings from the US. But Huawei products are inexpensive and qualified that they could not refuse, which was why they proposed schemes to test Huawei equipment.
Zhang hailed the system and the UK’s conclusion as “significantly pragmatic, and will set an example for other European countries.”
Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday that it was not in European countries’ interests to blindly follow the US, which was confusing security with the market to crack down on Huawei.
The UK made a proper move by introducing ways to deal with 5G cooperation, Cui said.
Cui noted that because of warnings from the US, there appeared to be a trend toward a new Cold War in Europe.
“Because China does not share the same ideology as the US, Chinese products are unsafe, according to US logic,” Cui said. He warned that conditions for a new Cold War would develop if ideology becomes the main issue.