Hunt urges caution on deal with Huawei
Minister publicly questions PM’S decision to give Chinese firm access to new 5G network
BRITAIN should be cautious about allowing Huawei to help build Britain’s 5G network because the company is legally obliged to co-operate with the Chinese intelligence services, Jeremy Hunt has warned.
The Foreign Secretary, seen as a Tory leadership front-runner, yesterday became the first Cabinet minister to publicly express concerns about the Prime Minister’s decision to allow Huawei to supply technology for “noncore” parts of the 5G network.
Speaking ahead of a trip to Africa, Mr Hunt said: “We are right to have a degree of caution about the role of large Chinese companies because of the degree of control the Chinese state is able to exercise over them in the way that would not be possible if they were large Western companies.
“That doesn’t mean to say that their role is automatically malign, but there are things like the 2017 law which requires all Chinese companies, whatever their ownership, to co-operate with Chinese intelligence services on any occasion. Obviously, as we come to our decision, we have to weigh those considerations very carefully.”
The Telegraph revealed last week that the National Security Council, which is chaired by Theresa May, had agreed to allow the Chinese telecoms firm access to help build “non-core” parts of the network such as antennae. The decision came despite objections from Mr Hunt, Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary. The Telegraph report prompted the Government to launch a leak inquiry.
China’s ambassador warned in The Sunday Telegraph that Britain must make “independent” choices and resist external pressure, after the US urged the UK to ban Huawei. Mr Hunt rejected the suggestion Britain could be susceptible to the influence of other nations as “absolute nonsense”.
He said: “We take decisions in the British national interest. Just look at the position we have taken, for example, in the Iran nuclear deal.
“We decide what we think is right. Nor by the way would we do anything under Chinese influence. We do what’s right for Britain.”
Mr Hunt is being accompanied on the trip to Africa by Lucia Guo, his Chinese wife. He has described her as a “great diplomatic weapon” for Britain.
Mr Hunt also revealed that he had been questioned by officials as part of a leak inquiry ordered by Sir Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary, and said he was prepared to hand over his phone.
“I would be very happy for anyone to look at my phone, as would my trusted special adviser,” he said.
Tobias Ellwood, a defence minister, urges caution today about allowing Huawei in to Britain’s 5G network and says there needs to be an “urgent” debate about growing Chinese influence.
Writing in The Telegraph, he says: “[China’s] economic, political and more lately, military influence has grown at an unprecedented scale and speed – matched only by its ambitions to become a global power. The debate over
Huawei masks the need for a more urgent and significant conversation about China’s place at the international table which must include gaining agreement on an operational framework to support future security and trade relationships.”
It comes as the US is today expected to put further pressure on Britain to reconsider its decision to allow Huawei to build “non-core” parts of the network. Robert Strayer, deputy assistant at the US state department, will conduct a briefing in Brussels. He has warned that the US does not consider any “relevant” distinction between core and non-core parts of the network.
The US National Security Agency warned last week that Theresa May’s decision to approve Huawei’s involvement in the 5G network risked handing China a “loaded gun”, because of the firm’s alleged closeness to the Chinese government, which it denies.
The parliamentary intelligence and security committee (ISC) has announced that it will investigate Mrs May’s decision to allow Huawei to supply next-generation technology as a matter of priority.
The controversial decision exposed deep divisions between the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet ministers, prompting intelligence experts and MPS on both sides of the House to raise concerns about the security risks.
The ISC said: “This is clearly a matter of very considerable parliamentary and public interest, and the committee will therefore now be prioritising this aspect of its inquiry.”