Huawei deal risks special relationship, US warns MPS

BRITAIN’S “special relationship” with the United States would be “fundamentally altered” if it uses Huawei in its 5G network, a Republican congressman has warned.

Mike Turner, chairman of the defence and security committee of the Nato Assembly, said: “The amount of information that we share would be impacted and the concern about where that information may go.”

He told the Commons defence sub committee yesterday that close ties between the UK and the US were important “because we rely on each other… for things we are concerned about”.

Mr Turner said there had to be “recognition of the reality of an impact” if Huawei is to be embedded in Britain’s 5G, and cautioned that this “should be considered” by the UK.

It comes after the Prime Minister confirmed that the National Cyber Security Centre had launched a review of Huawei’s involvement in Britain’s 5G network in the wake of US sanctions on the technology company.

However, Boris Johnson has been keen to state that the UK should continue to work with the “great and rising power” of China.

Franklin Miller, a US foreign policy expert told MPS he hoped the “special relationship” that exists through politicians, intelligence officers and scientists across the US and the UK would continue for many years to come.

“The special relationship is absolutely vital,” he said.

The US fears Huawei could be used by China for spying via its 5G equipment but Downing Street said its involvement will be restricted to non-sensitive parts of the network.