US: UK Huawei links could be a dealbreaker
Vice President warns Johnson
US Vice President Mike Pence has warned that Boris Johnson’s decision to grant Huawei access to the UK’s 5G network could jeopardise trade talks.
America, along with Australia and New Zealand, believes Huawei is a national security risk because of its ties to the Chinese government.
It is feared Beijing could use the network as a backdoor to security secrets. Speaking yesterday, Mr Pence said of the PM’s decision: “We are profoundly disappointed because, when I met with Prime Minister Johnson, I told him the moment the UK was out of Brexit, we were willing to begin to negotiate a freetrade arrangement with the UK.”
He continued: “But we just don’t believe that utilising the assets and technologies of Huawei is consistent with the security or privacy interests of the UK or the US – and it remains a real issue between our two countries.”
Last month, the White House expressed anger after the UK announced it would allow the Chinese firm to have limited access to some of Britain’s 5G networks. Trump i s said to
have called Johnson shortly after the announcement, during which the President went “apoplectic”. Trump has said he would seek a major trade deal with Britain after we left the EU.
At the G7 summit in August, he said: “We’re having very good trade talks between the UK and ourselves. We’re going to do a very big trade deal, bigger than we’ve ever had with the UK.”
But the US State Department has warned the UK and other countries Huawei is “not a trusted vendor”.
Using the assets of Huawei is not secure. It’s an issue
MIKE PENCE U.S VICE PRESIDENT’S WARNING