Huawei probe puts UK, US accord at risk

The White House has launched a major review of whether spy planes, intelligence officials and other US assets should be withdrawn from Britain after Downing Street agreed Huawei can help build its 5G network.

Sources, including current US and UK officials, have told The Daily Tele

graph that the process – not yet made public – is under way, threatening the “special relationship”.

Every military and intelligence asset the Americans have in Britain is being assessed to understand the implications of letting the Chinese tech giant construct part of the new wireless network.

A group of RC-135s, sophisticated reconnaissance aircraft based in the UK and used to gather battlefield intelligence, are thought to be among the most vulnerable, say sources.

Whether highly classified missions would be carried out from countries other than Britain due to confidentiality fears is also being considered, This could see the redeployment of US agents.

One former official who only recently left the White House’s National Security Council, which is leading the review, said it was “likely” some assets would be removed from Britain.

The source said: “This was not a bluff. You cannot mitigate the danger Boris Johnson is exposing the UK to by letting Huawei into the network.

“This is the White House saying, ‘Okay, if they’re going to go down this path and put themselves at risk, then how do we protect ourselves?”’

The review marks a significant escalation in the Huawei row, with the US now going beyond words of warning, and taking concrete steps that could end up harming military and intelligence ties.

The UK has maintained that giving Huawei limited access will not compromise its 5G network.

Johnson announced in January that Huawei would be allowed to build some of Britain’s 5G network, barring “core” parts of the network, such as military facilities and nuclear sites.

The Trump administration has long maintained that letting Huawei build any part of the 5G network would effectively give access to the Chinese government.