New envoy to rebuild ties as Huawei leaves Trump ‘apoplectic’
Donald Trump was “apoplectic” with Boris Johnson during a phone call over the UK’S decision to allow Chinese telecoms giant Huawei into its 5G network, according to reports.
It comes as Downing Street finally announced a replacement as its ambassador to Washington, more than six months after the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch following the leak of diplomatic cables critical of the Trump administration.
Dame Karen Pierce, the current ambassador to the UN, will be the first woman to serve as envoy to the US.
The Prime Minister defied intense pressure from the American government to block Huawei from UK infrastructure contracts, ruling instead that the Chinese firm could play a limited role.
The US has warned allies that Huawei poses a security risk, amid fears that Beijing could hack into western communication networks.
According to officials in London and Washington contacted by the Financial Times, the US president was “apoplectic” with the Prime Minister in a phone call after the decision was announced last week.
The row threatens to undermine Mr Johnson’s main post-brexit objective of securing a trade deal with Washington.
Downing Street did not deny the report, saying only that “the Prime Minister underlined the importance of likeminded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies”.
Media reports suggest that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is on a visit to Australia, came under fire over the Huawei decision while meeting MPS on the parliamentary intelligence committee in Canberra on Thursday.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that one member told him: “How would you feel if the Russians laid down infrastructure in your own networks? That’s how we feel about Huawei.”
Amid the tensions over Huawei, Washington has also threatened to retaliate with tariffs on the British car industry if the Government goes ahead with a planned tax on tech companies such as Google and Facebook.
And the UK is pressing for the extradition of the wife of an American intelligence official charged with causing the death of 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn.
Ms Pierce is seen as having a good relationship with the White House. She said: “I am honoured to have been asked to represent the UK in the US.”
paris.gourtsoyannis@scotsman.com